A micro-process analysis of Functional Analytic Psychotherapy's mechanism of change.

This study sought to clarify the micro-process of Functional Analytic Psychotherapy (FAP) by using the Functional Analytic Psychotherapy Rating Scale (FAPRS) to code every client and therapist turn of speech over the course of successful treatment of an individual meeting diagnostic criteria for depression and histrionic personality disorder. Treatment consisted of cognitive behavioral therapy alone followed by the addition of FAP techniques in a unique A / A+B design. In-session client behavior improved following the shift to FAP techniques, and micro-process data suggested that client behavior was effectively shaped by in-vivo FAP procedures. These results support FAP's purported mechanisms of change and highlight the advantages of utilizing molecular coding systems to explore these mechanisms.