Relationships between the object focus of therapist interpretations and outcome in short‐term individual psychotherapy

The relationships between the object (person) focus of therapist interpretations and outcome were examined for 21 patients who received short-term individual psychotherapy. Percentages of single objects and linked objects, e.g. therapist-parent link, were derived from an analysis of the therapy sessions. Patients, therapists and an independent assessor provided pre-therapy, post-therapy and six-month follow-up outcome scores. Contrary to other reports in the literature little evidence was found to support the hypothesis of a direct linear relationship between object focus and favourable outcome. Several explanations for the findings are discussed.