Expectations Definition Expectations are personal beliefs about occurrences that may take place in the future. Expectations develop from a combination of individuals’ experiences and knowledge. For example, if one has the knowledge that a relative’s birthday is next Saturday and experience indicates that a family get-together was held each of the past 5 years on
Client expectations about counseling and psychotherapy are widely believed to influence the therapy process and outcome. Theorists from disparate theoretical persuasions have included expectations as a central construct in their theories. Research on the common factors that account for much of the success of psychotherapy confirms the influence of client expectations. The Construct of Expectations