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It was in the years immediately following World War II and through the 1950s that the psychoanalytic establishment officially defined psychoanalysis as a subspecialty of psychiatry, and it was in that context of the professionalization of American medicine that they codified the distinction between psychoanalysis and (psychoanalytic) psychotherapy. In this commentary on Steven Stern's “Session Frequency and the Definition of Psychoanalysis,” I deconstruct a series of binaries that was built into the analysis/therapy distinction and that has plagued our discipline. It is argued that psychoanalysis identified itself with the culturally “masculine” and heterosexual values of autonomous individuality (the intrapsychic), while it split off all that was relational and social (interpersonal), marked as “feminine,” homosexual, and “primitive,” onto psychotherapy, which it then devalued. The paper then examines the implications for practice and psychoanalytic education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coronavirus outbreak created diverse challenges for mental health services in general and to psychotherapy in particular. One of the most prominent of these is the move from delivering psychotherapy in face to face sessions to telephone or internet-based platforms. While this is a challenge to all psychotherapies, this paper examines specific considerations that should be taken into account when doing recovery-oriented integrative psychotherapy with persons with schizophrenia. Based on our clinical experiences conducting trials of psychotherapy with people with schizophrenia in Israel and in the United States, we describe several changes that took place as we were providing psychotherapy at the outbreak of the pandemic. These include general changes in the platform of psychotherapy and in the focus of sessions at both process and content levels. These changes represent both barriers and opportunities for the recovery process. Following a description of these changes we discuss and outline adaptations that are needed for sustaining patient's sense of their own agency and of the intersubjective nature of the session. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper summarizes the place of psychotherapy and psychoanalysis in the US health care system. It addresses trends in the field, tensions between biomedical and biopsychosocial models of mental and substance use disorders, and summarizes top-down legislative and bottom-up judicial actions that impact access to psychosocial treatments for mental and substance use disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: We provide a review of the literature on posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in older adults, focusing largely on older U.S. military veterans in two primary areas: 1) assessment and diagnosis and 2) non-pharmacological treatment of PTSD in late life. Methods: We performed a search using PubMed and Academic Search Premier (EBSCO) databases and reviewed reference sections of selected papers. We also drew on our own clinical perspectives and reflections of seven expert mental health practitioners. Results: Rates of PTSD are lower in older compared with younger adults. The presence of sub-syndromal/partial PTSD is important and may impact patient functioning. Assessment requires awareness and adaptation for potential differences in PTSD experience and expression in older adults. Psychotherapies for late-life PTSD appear safe, acceptable and efficacious with cognitively intact older adults, although there are relatively few controlled studies. Treatment adaptations are likely warranted for older adults with PTSD and co-morbidities (e.g., chronic illness, pain, sensory, or cognitive changes). Conclusions: PTSD is an important clinical consideration in older adults, although the empirical database, particularly regarding psychotherapy, is limited. Clinical Implications: Assessment for trauma history and PTSD symptoms in older adults is essential, and may lead to increased recognition and treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The opioid epidemic is a national emergency in the United States. To meet the needs of individuals diagnosed with Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) office-based opioid treatment programs (OBOT) are quickly expanding. However, social workers roles in OBOT programs are not clearly described. This paper will emphasize three roles social workers may fulfill in OBOT programs to combat the opioid crisis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reviews the use of psychotherapeutic approaches to treat individuals who have committed sex crimes and/or have problematic sexual interests (PSI); including types of psychotherapy used, descriptions of preventive and reintegration programmes, and highlighting specific theoretical controversies. In the second part, experts from Canada, the Czech Republic, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States, who participated in an International Consensus Meeting held in Prague (2017), summarize treatment programmes in their countries. The comparison revealed some general findings: each country has variability between its own programmes; most countries have different programmes for people who are in custody and who are in the community; the state-directed treatment programmes are primarily focused on criminal individuals, while non-criminal individuals are treated in preventive programmes and/or in special clinics or are untreated; the presence of PSI in patients is acknowledged in most programmes, although specific programmes exclusively for individuals with PSI rarely exist. Studies on effectiveness are difficult to compare due to methodologic, political, and cultural differences. Further communication between more countries to share knowledge about successful treatments and preventive approaches is needed, especially enhanced international collaboration between researchers and clinicians to verify the effectiveness of current clinical and experimental program, rs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Mild traumatic brain injuries (mTBI) are the most common of traumatic brain injuries and patients often experience a wide range of symptoms such as headache, fatigue, dizziness, sleep problems and subjective cognitive deficits. Whilemost symptomatic patients recover quickly, a sub-group of ~ 10-20% of patients experience prolonged symptoms. There is currently a lack of evidence-based treatment for these patients. Objective: The objective of the present paper was to conduct a systematic review of the literature on psychotherapeutic interventions specifically for patients with prolonged symptoms (> 3 months after injury) after mTBI. Methods: With a more precise definition of psychotherapy than previous reviews, an extensive literature search was conducted that yielded 2332 hits, of which five were considered to meet the criteria. Only two of the studies were randomized controlled trials. Results and conclusions: Results revealed several methodological limitations in the included studies, leading to the conclusion that it is premature to make any strong recommendations on psychotherapeutic treatment of prolonged symptoms after mTBI. With in-depth methodological analyses of the included studies and comprehensive recommendations for future research, the present review aims to inform clinicians and to encourage scientists to engage in collaborative effort towards increasing the number of methodologically sound clinical trials in the field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper outlines the recent history of LGBT psychology and psychotherapy in the United Kingdom, focusing on key publications, and the current terrain, highlighting similarities and differences between the UK and the US contexts. The paper is divided into four sections: the first focuses on the early development of the field in the late 1960s. The second section explores the 1980s--a decade that witnessed the publication of two key texts that had a strong influence on the development of the field and, in particular, on the development of critical and discursive approaches. The third section details the rapid changes that occurred in the 1990s including the establishment of a Lesbian and Gay Psychology Section within the British Psychological Society. The final section considers the current terrain and the similarities and differences in the theoretical commitments of researchers and practitioners working in the UK and in the US. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The professional identity of counsellors and guidance practitioners in Aotearoa New Zealand is currently under review as a result of the passing of legislation regulating health professionals and the proposed introduction of national registration of counsellors. In this paper I explore this debate, and examine the professional identities claimed by counsellors, counselling psychologists and psychotherapists. The current discussion in this country is both informed by and provides an illuminating lens on professional identity issues in Australia, the UK and the US. An alternative construction of professional identities that are localised and dynamic, yet distinctly of Aotearoa New Zealand, is proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This paper highlights the present day value of Carl Rogers' many contributions. It argues that we should understand psychotherapy paradigms as value-laden social constructions that reflect predominant sociocultural biases, often creating an excessive power differential between therapist and client. Person-centered and experiential practitioners are encouraged to contribute to the larger discourse concerning the helping professions and to take the opportunities offered by the growing field of health promotion, which is person-people-community-centered. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The aim of this paper was to investigate the feasibility and impact of dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT) for patients with borderline personality disorder (BPD) in a clinical outpatient setting. Eighteen clinicians were trained and supervised in using DBT. Twenty-seven female patients were assessed on a number of variables before the treatment, as well as 5 and 12 months after the start of the DBT. Despite some barriers, DBT could be implemented successfully, and the professionals reported increased competence 1 year after the start of the therapy. Low treatment dropout rates suggested that DBT was well accepted by the patients. One year after the start of treatment, the patients reported significant decrease on most variables measuring psychological distress and number of parasuicidal behaviours. The study provides preliminary support for the feasibility and impact of DBT in the outpatient treatment of BPD in a cultural setting outside the United States. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Infertility affects 6 million American women and their partners, about 10% of the reproductive age population. Recent improvements in medication, microsurgery, and assisted reproductive technology (ART) make pregnancy possible for more than half the couples pursuing treatment, yet infertility is more than a medical condition. Infertility touches all aspects of a person's life. It affects how individuals feel about themselves, their relationships, and their life perspective. Stress is only one of a myriad of emotional realities that couples facing infertility deal with, often for extended periods of time. In addition to ongoing stress, infertility creates issues of guilt, anxiety, tension within the relationship, and feelings of depression and isolation. Treating couples and individuals who are involved in the journey of dealing with infertility is an opportunity for clinical specialists in psychiatric mental health nursing. The expertise of clinical specialists both in providing psychotherapy services as well as providing a bridge of understanding of sophisticated medical and surgical procedures places them in a unique position among the various disciplines offering mental health services. This paper provides an overview of the psychological issues that play a role in psychotherapy with this population and suggests specific clinical interventions and potential role expansion for psychiatric clinical specialists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]