Client retrospective recall of resolved and unresolved misunderstanding events.

Client retrospective recall of major misunderstanding events was studied in 19 cases of therapy. A qualitative methodology was used to describe the sequence of 11 resolved and 8 unresolved misunderstanding events. Results indicated that a good relationship, clients' willingness to assert negative feelings about being misunderstood, and therapists' facilitation of a mutual repair effort through maintaining a flexible and accepting stance typically led to resolution. In contrast, a poor relationship, therapists* unwillingness to discuss or accept clients' assertion of negative reactions to being misunderstood, or therapists' lack of awareness of clients' negative feelings led to unresolved misunderstandings and often to clients quitting therapy. The ability of clients and therapists to survive lapses in understanding and to put these critical moments to therapeutic use has been extensively explored from a theoretical perspective (Bordin, 1979; Luborsky, 1983; Safiran, 1993; Safran, Crocker, McMain, Weiss Mitchell, 1988; Safran & Segal, 1990).