The Life-Saving Case of "Cora": A Rogerian Perspective

Halvorsen, Benum, Haavind, and McLeod’s (2016) A Life-Saving Therapy: The Theory-Building Case of "Cora" is rich in ideas and findings. My reflections fall into four categories. First, I comment on the finding that therapist and client reports of change in the case of Cora differ from results on objective measures. I argue that an extensive qualitative examination could better resolve this issue. Second, I raise questions concerning the idea that clients’ problems necessarily stem from early childhood abuse. Third, I argue that the authors’ finding of the importance of persistence in therapy may better explain how therapy works than a primary focus on significant events or significant moments. Finally, I agree with the authors’ finding of client courage, but give an alternative interpretation of that.