Related Experiment Video
Updated: Dec 22, 2025

Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Hyperscanning Study in Psychological Counseling
Published on: January 17, 2025
Personality Assessment and Psychotherapy Preferences: Congruence between Client Personality and Therapist Personality
Joye C Anestis1, Taylor R Rodriguez1, Olivia C Preston1
1School of Psychology, The University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg, Mississippi, USA.
Abstract:
Consideration of client preferences has been emphasized as important to therapeutic outcomes, such as treatment engagement and retention. Although studies have investigated several client and therapist characteristics associated with client preferences, few have considered whether people have preferences regarding a potential therapist's personality. The current study extended prior research on client preferences by examining the influence of participants' Big Five personality traits on preferences for therapist personality characteristics utilizing latent profile analysis. We expected congruence between client personality traits and preferred psychotherapist personality traits. In both undergraduate and community samples, results indicated that participants generally prefer a psychotherapist with personality characteristics similar to their own. Our findings establish the presence of preferences based on personality factors and have implications for future research directions and the role of personality assessment in routine clinical practice.
More Related Videos
10:26Problem-Solving Before Instruction PS-I: A Protocol for Assessment and Intervention in Students with Different Abilities
Published on: September 11, 2021
06:42Continuous Theta Burst Stimulation of the Posterior Medial Frontal Cortex to Experimentally Reduce Ideological Threat Responses
Published on: September 28, 2018
Related Concept Videos
Elements Crucial for Effective Psychotherapy
The Therapeutic Alliance
The therapeutic alliance refers to the relationship between the therapist and the client. The alliance strengthens when the therapist and the client engage in a nurturing, supportive, trusting, empathetic, and respectful relationship, improving therapeutic outcomes. Therapists must monitor this relationship...
Self-Report Tests of Personality
Introduction to Personality Psychology
Early Theories of Personality
The study of...
Implicit Personality Theories
Interpersonal Psychotherapy
Psychodynamic Perspectives on Personality
Psychodynamic theorists argue that unconscious...