Change processes in a creation of meaning event.

Creation of meaning events are in-therapy change episodes that occur when a patient seeks to understand the meaning of an emotional experience. A performance model of this task was developed in an earlier study. The present study was conducted to determine which client performance components distinguish successful from unsuccessful creation of meaning episodes. Measures of referential activity were also applied to the events and uncovered important features of the therapist intervention that accompanied successful meaning making. The implications of these results for psychotherapy are discussed.