Parents' Perceptions of the Effects of Their Child's Therapy

In recent years increasing attention has been paid to the multidirectional effects of psychotherapy. Therapy affects not only the patient but also the patient's spouse and family (Brody and Farber, 1989; Fischer and Mendell, 1958; Fox, 1968; Hatcher and Hatcher, 1983; Hunsley and Lee, 1995; Hurvitz, 1967; Lefebvre and Hunsley, 1994), the therapist (Farber, 1983; Guy, 1987), and the therapist's family (Cray & Cray, 1977; Golden and Farber, 1998). For the most part, these studies have suggested that therapy has both positive and negative secondary effects. For example, family members of both therapists and patients often report becoming more psychologically minded and self-aware; they also tend to note, however, feeling excluded from the intimacy of the therapist-patient matrix. The present study investigates the effects of a child's therapy on a parent.

Parents of children in therapy have a particularly complex relationship with their child's therapist. They are typically part of their child's therapy because, usually, they initiate the first contact with the therapist, pay for the treatment, are made aware of the salient aspects of the process, and are generally invited, at least occasionally to participate in the process. But they are also excluded from the work that occurs between the therapist and their child. Further complicating the relationship is the fact that parental support of the treatment is almost always necessary for the continuation of therapy (Gorin, 1993; Litwack, 1985; Shaffer, 1984). Research and clinical reports suggest that parents' feelings toward their child's therapist may range from gratitude and relief, to guilt, anxiety, and apprehension, to envy and resentment (Chethik, 1989; Furman, 1995; Glenn, Sabot, and Bernstein, 1978). These feelings are