Corrective Experiences in Everyday Life: A Qualitative Investigation of Transformative Change

Based on a transtheoretical definition of corrective experience (CE), the authors interviewed 25 adults who could identify a pivotal event or relationship they had experienced, at any point in their lifetime, as positively transformative. The narratives show that the CEs described by participants often had a negative precipitant or took place during a life transition. CEs involving other people tended to occur when an important relationship ended or was reflected upon in retrospect. Many participants had a new cognitive understanding while the CE was occurring as well as long afterward. Interestingly, the life-changing consequences of the CEs were similar to desired outcomes in psychotherapy: positive outlook, changed relationships, self-affirmation, and determination. Notably, the few individuals who had discussed the circumstances surrounding their specific CE with a therapist reported the importance of common change factors (support, validation, emotional release). Results are examined for their theoretical and practical implications.