What might be the three sources of information used in clinical work? One source can be the therapist and a second source can be the patient/client. How often do we actually take seriously the perspective offered by our patients/clients? Two noted psychotherapists, Irvin Yalom (2012) and Louis Breger (2012), suggest that we should. The perspective offered by our patient/client might differ in important (and insightful) ways from our own perspective and narrative about what has occurred in a therapy session.
What would be the third source? It might be the test report—this is often a self-rating done by the patient/client (so is not always a unique third source). The third source might instead be the perspectives on our patient/client offered by a referring clinician or our own clinical supervisor. Triangulation leads us inevitably to the value inherent in the rule played by a supervisor—regardless of our level of expertise and experience.
What about methods? These might be our direct observations of our client. A related method can be participant/observer. We note our own reactions to the person we are treating, rather than (or in additional to) observing our patient/client’s behavior. A second method can be the test that we administer (it can serve as both a source and a method). What is the third method? As in the case of a third source, Triangulation yields something of a challenge for many clinicians. A third method might be an audio or video recording of the session we just conducted (and are now reviewing). This review of a recording becomes a way for us to “distance ourselves” a bit from the therapy session. We can more truly become an observer of our own behavior as well as the behavior of our patient/client.
There is another method that might be used—this is the review of existing documents we have about the patient/client that are not specifically related to the therapy session itself. For instance, when does the patient/client show up for the therapy appointment and how quickly do they pay their therapy bills (if there is not a third-party payer involved)? What type of outfit do they wear when coming to the session? This review of documents is often called an “unobtrusive” method, though as therapists we know that all of this is highly “obtrusive” and closely related to the therapeutic process.
