Therapists' Perceptions of Deception in Psychotherapy

The literature to date on deception in psychotherapy is lacking in several areas, particularly in the exploration of therapists' perceptions of being deceived in session. The current study explored the perceived frequency of client deception, therapists' deception cue reliance, the content of perceived deception, detection confidence, perceived motivation to deceive, and the effect of the lie on several areas of treatment. Participants included psychologists who were generally representative of the population of practicing psychologists in the United States. Results indicated therapists significantly underestimate the frequency of client deception, relied on verbal information, and were generally confident in their detection ability. Results were mixed regarding the therapists' understanding of their clients' motivation for deception, but revealed the majority of therapists believed the lie negatively affected the therapeutic relationship. The current study's limitations are explored as well as suggestions for future research to further the literature on deception in psychotherapy.