Exploring Client Expectations in Marriage and Family Therapy

Abstract

Expectations influence experiences and are an important factor in interpersonal exchanges. Within therapy, client expectations are a common factor contributing to client change. It is important for both clinicians and researchers to explore the breadth and nature of their clients’ expectations for treatment in order to provide personalized and effective care. Furthermore, client expectations may be predictive of client outcomes and thus may be a worthwhile target for intervention. Despite the importance of understanding client expectations, little research has been done on this topic in the field of marriage and family therapy. This may be due to a need for a robust measure for client expectations that goes beyond studying individual adult clients and which is also feasible to administer. This article provides information about existing measures in the mental health field and suggests guidelines for the development of a measure that would be appropriate for the field of marriage and family therapy.