Analysis of assimilation during psychotherapy with people who have mental retardation

The assimilation model provides a structured account of changes occurring within psychotherapy. The model proposes that clients assimilate their problematic experience through the development of schema observable in psychotherapeutic settings. The research procedure involved applying the Assimilation of Problematic Experiences Scale (APES) to transcripts from 8 clients. Quantitative methods were applied to examine whether clients with mental retardation illustrate changes in level of assimilation within and across sessions. Results suggest that people with mental retardation do assimilate problematic experiences during psychotherapy. Methodological issues and clinical implications are discussed. Our goal was to provide a clinically relevant account, applicable to the achievements of people with mental retardation, in the context of psychotherapy.