← Back to papers

Explaining Symptoms in Systemic Therapy. Does Triadic Thinking Come Into Play?

★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆

Paper Summary

Paperzilla title
Therapists Think in Threes, Clients Not So Much: A Tale of Two Brains in Therapy

Clients and therapists use different "inference fields" when explaining symptoms. Clients tend to focus on individual or two-person explanations, while therapists consider broader, three-person contexts. This difference may be a key element in therapeutic change, allowing for new perspectives without dismissing the client's feelings.

Explain Like I'm Five

Scientists found that when people talk about their problems, they often think it's just about them or one other person. But therapists help them see that sometimes, problems are like a puzzle with more pieces, involving three or more people, which can help them feel better.

Possible Conflicts of Interest

The therapist who conducted the sessions is also the first author of the study. This could introduce bias in the interpretation and analysis of the data.

Identified Limitations

Small sample size
The small sample size (25 participants) limits the generalizability of the findings. The study should be replicated with a larger and more diverse sample to confirm the results.
Single therapist
All sessions were conducted by the same therapist, introducing potential bias. Including multiple therapists would strengthen the study's validity.
Limited time frame
The study only analyzes the first two therapy sessions. Longitudinal research tracking changes in inference fields over the course of therapy is needed to understand how these patterns evolve.

Rating Explanation

This study presents an interesting exploration of how clients and therapists explain symptoms, offering a novel perspective on therapeutic conversations. However, methodological limitations, especially the small sample size and single therapist, constrain the generalizability of the findings, justifying an average rating.

Good to know

This is the Starter analysis. Paperzilla Pro fact-checks every citation, researches author backgrounds and funding sources, and uses advanced AI reasoning for more thorough insights.

Explore Pro →

Topic Hierarchy

Domain: Social Sciences
Field: Psychology

File Information

Original Title: Explaining Symptoms in Systemic Therapy. Does Triadic Thinking Come Into Play?
Uploaded: July 14, 2025 at 06:57 AM
Privacy: Public