Abstracts Psychology

A Phenomenological Inquiry of Client Experiences of Receiving a Humanistically-Oriented Therapeutic Letter Between Counseling Sessions from their Counselor

by Logan M. Lamprecht

The purpose of this study was to illuminate the experiences of clients who receive a humanistically-oriented letter from their counselor during the therapy relationship. The primary research question was: What are the experiences of clients receiving a therapeutic letter written by their counselor from a humanistic perspective of relatedness during the counseling relationship? Six clients participated in a series of formal interviews regarding their experience of receiving a counseling letter. The interviews were transcribed and then analyzed utilizing Moustakas’ (1994) transcendental approach to phenomenological research. Themes obtained from the analysis revealed that there is a common essential experience relative to clients who receive a humanistically-oriented counseling letter from their therapist between counseling sessions. No qualitative studies were located in the research regarding the experiences of clients who receive a humanistically-oriented counseling letter from their therapist between counseling sessions in a mental health setting. The findings in this study have relevance for counselor preparation programs and clinical practice. Limitations to this particular study were discussed and suggestions for future research were provided.