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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]

AbstractSurvivors of sexual violence often experience short-and long-term mental and physical health conditions due to the victimization. Rape Crisis Centers are community-based advocacy organizations that provide free supportive services to survivors of sexual assault, such as 24-hour crisis hotlines, medical advocacy, individual and group therapeutic services, and victim advocacy services for those with cases within the criminal justice system. However, the efficacy of these services in assisting survivors is not well known, often due to researchers’ lack of access to clients. In this paper, we investigate the experiences of survivors directly from the survivors receiving psychotherapy services from a Rape Crisis Center in an urban jurisdiction in the Midwestern United States. We qualitatively interviewed nine survivors who attended individual and/or group therapy. In-depth analysis showed that four themes emerged regarding their experiences. Two themes pertain to positive outcomes—emotional processing and group therapy dynamics. One theme concerns obstacles. The final theme relates to suggestions for service improvement. The discussion includes summaries of the reflective findings and recommendations for future practice. This research contributes to informing and improving practices and policies to better serve survivors of sexual assault. [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 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]

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]

Introduces the papers included in the volume 31, number 2, 2005 issue of the "Journal of Child Psychotherapy, " a special edition on the theme of work with parents. Papers from Great Britain, U.S. and Australia; Similarities and differences in style, emphasis and approach to work with parents across different continents and between a variety of work settings; Psychotherapy of parenthood; Some of the 'cultural impediments' to parenting; Work of an under fives counseling service in Australia; Issues of parenting adolescents.

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]

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]

Copyright of Person-Centered & Experiential Psychotherapies is the property of Routledge and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This article studies the dense interconnections between biopower, psychoanalysis, psychology and theories of Latino/a health and disease in the context of the ubiquitous claim heard nowadays regarding the so-called inevitable early twenty-first-century Latinization of the United States. How do we, the author asks, understand the theories of Latino/a health, disease, normality and pathology emerging out of epidemiological research on Latino/as and out of the professional psychotherapeutic literature on Latino/as within the broader interpretive horizon of US biopolitical practices that both manage and incite life? This paper explores this question by paying specific attention to the diagnosis of “anxiety” in the psychotherapeutic literature on Latino/as and to the conundrum in epidemiological research on Latino/a health referred to as the “epidemiological paradox.” [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]

Asian Americans are the fastest growing ethnic group in the United States and of this group, Chinese Americans represent the largest subgroup. Some scholars have speculated that more symptom-focused and directive psychotherapeutic approaches may be more congruent with Chinese Americans' conceptualization of treatment than traditional Western modalities. Although these approaches may be more culturally appropriate and efficacious for some Chinese American clients, they presuppose that Chinese American clients have difficulties or an inability to express or communicate underlying emotional distress. As a consequence of this generalization, mental health therapists may assume that emotion-oriented psychotherapeutic approaches such as Emotion Focused Therapy (EFT) will not benefit this population. Notwithstanding efforts to expand the relevance of EFT, there remains little research examining the cultural validity of EFT across cultural groups, particularly for Chinese American clients. In this article, we use the Cultural Lens Approach to assess the relevance and applicability of EFT for Chinese American individuals and couples. The aim of this article is to provide clinical direction for therapists using EFT with Chinese American clients and energize the field to conduct further research examining the relevance and applicability of psychotherapeutic approaches with this client group. Further, this article aims to combat stereotypes and Western notions of mental health, which may be limiting clinical and research perspectives on mental healthcare for Chinese Americans. This exploration comes at a time when Chinese Americans are at increased risk of adverse mental health outcomes due to race-based violence and discrimination observed during the COVID-19 pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Practice-based evidence research was used to document the use of spiritual interventions in three mental health treatment settings among eight therapists and 128 clients. Materials included measures of client distress, along with measures of counselor's therapeutic process use and orientations toward the delivery of spiritual interventions. Analyses revealed the most common theoretical approaches and spiritual interventions in our settings. Differences emerged in cross-site comparisons of therapeutic processes, as well as in spiritual intervention use with clients of different genders. This study contributes insight into what is being done in real-world settings to address spirituality into psychotherapeutic interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article uses a case study to illustrate Mujerista tenants for mental health practitioners working with the adult female Latinx population. Reviewed are potential Latinx cultural values, history, traditions, and political movements within the United States. We demonstrate the advantages and limitations of a Mujerista perspective in therapy to offer clinicians exposure to a culturally specific treatment for Latinx women. Further, the case study informs mental health practitioners of the unique issues relevant to some Latinx adult women, such as intergenerational trauma, gender scripts, and spirituality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Therapy can be a site of decolonization in which the traumatic experiences of individuals, couples, families, and communities can be transformed by liberation-based frameworks. In this essay I articulate how key concepts from De Sousa Santos Epistemologies of the South, such as the ecologies of temporality, recognition, and productivity, can be integrated within a Mujerista therapy framework to address trauma and resilience. Through a clinical example of a Latinx mother and daughter, I illustrate nepantla moments and the co-construction of testimonios involving experiential, narrative, and spiritual levels of experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of the present study was to understand how therapists were experiencing the #MeToo movement, both personally and professionally. In an anonymous online survey (via Qualtrics) sent to multiple therapist listservs and Facebook pages, training programs, and personal contacts, we asked therapists to respond to four open-ended questions about (a) their personal reactions to the #MeToo movement, (b) their clients' reactions, (c) their subsequent interactions with clients, and (d) their ideas for change going forward. The convenience sample of 59 consisted of mostly liberal and feminist psychologists and counselors. They identified with diverse gender, racial/ethnic, and sexual orientation statuses, but most (78%) identified as women and over half (59%) as European American/White. We analyzed written narratives using grounded theory and consensual qualitative research methods. Six higher-order themes emerged: personal histories and reactions to the movement, complexities of response (optimism and concern), societal context shared by therapists and clients, clinical realities impacted by #MeToo, using standard and context-specific therapeutic strategies, and future directions (what therapists can do). We discuss findings in light of shared trauma (or shared reality), in which participants navigated their histories of sexual violence and media exposure while responding to clients, friends, family, and colleagues with similar experiences. Participants noted the need for increased self-care, as well as growth areas for the field, including the need for therapists to have increased awareness of issues of gender and power, intersectionality, and sexual violence treatment. Implications for the field and future research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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]

The Old Order Amish are the fastest growing religious subpopulation in the United States. The Amish population, most recently estimated at 340,000, is expected to double in size during the next 20 years. While still relatively few in number, their growing population and increasing interaction with American society will likely result in more Amish individuals seeking mental health treatment. Despite the call for culturally competent mental health professionals, this population has been underrepresented in the psychotherapy literature. To the best of the author's knowledge, this article is the first known attempt to review the ethical considerations that may arise when working with members of the Old Order Amish. This article uses the American Psychological Association's Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct to frame the discussion of ethical mental health treatment with Amish individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Provides information on psychotherapy, discussing the feminist and social constructionist influences on counseling practices and emphasizing the conceptualizations of gender. Details on feminist psychotherapy; Information on the many faces of feminism; Description on social constructionist psychotherapy; In-depth look at the perspectives in psychological practice.

Formerly heterosexually partnered gay fathers raised with religion are an under-researched group of LGBTQ parents. This group have potentially complex coming out journeys, which can result in them seeking counselling. This research qualitatively explores the counselling experiences of 12 such men and offers suggestions for working therapeutically with them. The key finding of the qualitative analysis of the participants' interviews was that they wanted therapists to not assume a "best" outcome for them as either gay or "straight". Instead, they wanted therapists to respect and assist them to explore their own individual sense-making around their identities and to reject fixed notions from both ex-gay and gay affirmative therapy of what it means to be a "well-adjusted" gay father. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Under the powerful influence of the Cartesian split, American psychotherapy theories usually take for granted the separation of the sociopolitical and the psychological. The intellectual movement referred to as The Interpretive Turn, composed of postmodernism and hermeneutics, directly opposes the split. Drawing from hermeneutic conceptions of the cultural clearing, the everyday social experience of similarity and difference, and Gadamer's description of dialogue, psychotherapy can be thought of as an encounter with difference. This way of conceiving of therapy opposes the split and welcomes Kohut's concept of the group self as an early approach to cultural history. This way of conceiving of similarity and difference aids in meeting the challenges—such as those related to race, gender, sexual orientation, and class—therapists confront in their everyday practices. It is also suggested that some therapists could engage in the role of public intellectual, thus bringing more psychologically sophisticated interpretations of our current political struggles over authoritarianism and democracy. In that way a hermeneutic cultural history could aid in combating the rise of neo-fascism in the United States and throughout the world, and in developing ways of building a more humane society dedicated to the well-being of all its inhabitants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is vital to better understand and effectively treat suicide, as it remains a leading cause of death for youth. The present article discusses the epidemiology of suicidal outcomes for youth and provides an overview of existing treatments. The "Collaborative Assessment and Management of Suicidality" (CAMS) – an evidence-based suicide-specific treatment – is presented, followed by a discussion of the potential benefits of adapting it to youth. Patient-defined "suicidal drivers," which are identified and targeted within CAMS-guided treatment, may be especially pertinent to suicidal youth who are in the beginning stages of grappling with their experience related to suicide. Current efforts to adapt CAMS for suicidal adolescents and children are described. Crucially, with further development and rigorous clinical research, adaptations of CAMS may one day provide an empirically-proven and reliable approach to reducing suicide risk in adolescents and children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the clinical challenges that occur in the treatment of the bilingual Latino/immigrant client with a bilingual therapist who speaks both Spanish and English. Language plays a crucial role in the therapeutic process, especially when therapy takes place in the client's second language with a bilingual therapist. Several theorists established a firm view that the mother tongue was the language of emotions and the second, the language of distance and detachment. A case composite vignette will introduce language switching as a defensive function for the bilingual client and as a therapeutic tool for the clinician. The work of Winnicott, who provides a framework in which to think about language from an object relations perspective, is discussed. The concepts and dilemmas described are applicable to other bilingual clients and clinicians. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and substance use disorder (SUD) co-occur in military veterans and other populations. Objective: To conduct a randomized controlled trial to compare a new past-focused treatment (Creating Change; CC), to a well-established, evidence-based present-focused treatment for PTSD/SUD (Seeking Safety; SS), on symptoms of both disorders. CC guides patients to process the past through exploration of PTSD/SUD life themes and memories whereas SS focuses on coping skills in the present. Methods: Fifty-two male and female veterans with current PTSD/SUD were randomized (n = 26 per treatment) and assessed at baseline, end-of-treatment and 3-month follow-up. They received 17 individual one-hour sessions. Results: Intent-to-treat analyses indicated that both conditions improved over time, with no difference between conditions, on PTSD, alcohol use, and drug use (our primary outcomes) as well as mental health symptoms, quality of life, self-efficacy, and SUD cognitions. Effect sizes were medium except for alcohol use, which was large. Change over time reflected improvement from baseline to end-of-treatment, with gains sustained at follow-up, although alcohol use showed continued improvement from end-of-treatment to follow-up. Both treatments evidenced a strong safety profile; and attendance, alliance, and treatment satisfaction were also very strong. Conclusions/importance: CC has promise as a PTSD/SUD therapy with strong public health relevance and the potential to fill important gaps in the field. We used minimal exclusionary criteria to obtain a real-world sample, which was severe—predominantly substance-dependent with chronic PTSD and additional psychiatric diagnoses. Future research is warranted, especially on nonveteran samples and treatment mechanisms of action. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

mHealth refers to the rapidly evolving use of mobile devices for health care treatment purposes, particularly the use of apps and texting as adjuncts to psychotherapy. Although there is currently an extensive literature on issues related to telehealth, to date little guidance has been developed to help professionals function ethically in the rapidly emerging area of mHealth. This article identifies the major ethical considerations that need attention and proposes several recommendations to address mHealth use as an adjunct to psychotherapy, including the pressing need for relevant American Psychological Association practice guidelines to assist mental health providers in the ethical implementation of mHealth. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Research on routine outcome monitoring in psychotherapy settings is plentiful but not without implementation obstacles. In fact, there is a relative dearth of real-time outcome monitoring in substance use treatment settings. Numerous barriers to the development and implementation of clinical decision support tools and outcome monitoring of substance use patients, including the need to establish expected trajectories of change and use of reliable change indices have been identified (Goodman, McKay, & DePhilippis, 2013). The current study was undertaken to develop expected trajectories of change and to demonstrate the treatment effectiveness of a dual diagnosis intensive outpatient program. The expected trajectories of change for days of substance use and depression scores were developed using predictive equation models from derivation samples and then applied to cross-validation samples. Predictive equations to monitor substance use were developed and validated for all patients and for only patients who were actively using substance at the time of admission, as well as to monitor severity of their depression symptom on a weekly basis. Validation of the equations was assessed through the use of Cohen's kappa (κ), receiver operating characteristic curves, reliable change index, and percentage improvement. Large effect sizes for reductions in substance use (Cohen's d =.76) and depressive symptoms (d = 1.10) are reported. The best predictive models we developed had absolute accuracy rates ranging from 95 to 100%. The findings from this study indicate that predictive equations for depressive symptoms and days of substance use can be derived and validated on dual diagnosis samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective Psychological assessment is a key activity for psychologists and a foundational element of psychology training, and psychological assessment supervision differs from psychotherapy supervision. The present study investigated factors that promote effectiveness in psychological assessment supervision. Method Participants were 47 assessment practica students at a clinical psychology doctoral program in the USA, their supervisors, and faculty evaluators of the Clinical Qualifying Exam-Assessment ( CQE-A), which was the student competency outcome measure. Students were grouped by CQE-A performance: pass ( n = 15), remediate ( n = 23), and fail ( n = 9). Results Successful students performed better on tasks that required them to integrate complex client information, reported more supplemental supervision experiences, such as in group or provided by unlicensed advanced trainees, and indicated that supplemental experiences were associated with greater confidence. Successful students were rated as more able to manage anxiety during the CQE-A and to use practicum supervision effectively. Students who failed reported greater focus in supervision on basic skills, and demonstrated inaccuracy in skills self-assessment. Student satisfaction was positively correlated with regular monitoring, ongoing feedback, clear goals and expectations, clear evaluation criteria, an initial baseline skills assessment, regular meetings, and supervisors staying updated. Conclusions Linking skills assessment, goal setting, and evaluation are important for successful student outcomes. A developmental approach may aid in customizing supervision. Tools, such as supervision agreements and training to orient students to the process of assessment supervision, may impact student ability to use supervision effectively. Group and supplemental supervisors can aid in monitoring students and fine tuning skill development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the need for mental healthcare services within correctional settings in the US increases, so does the need for a mental health workforce that is motivated to work within such systems. One potentially effective method by which to increase the number of psychiatrists working in jails, prisons, and parole clinics is to provide exposure to these environments during their training. Correctional settings can serve as unique training sites for medical students and psychiatric residents and fellows. Such training experiences can provide a host of benefits to both trainees and staff within the correctional mental health system. Alongside many potential benefits exist substantial potential barriers to coordinating correctional training experiences, including both programme directors’ and residents’ concerns regarding safety and enjoyment and negative perceptions of inmate and prisoner patients. The establishment of academic affiliations with correctional institutions and didactic instruction on commonly encountered clinical issues with inmate populations may be methods of diffusing these concerns. Improving residents’ and fellows’ training experiences offers a hope for increasing the attractiveness of a career in correctional psychiatry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Little is known about the impact of expectations on persistence in couple and family therapy. A better understanding of the factors that contribute to persistence in therapy is key to understanding therapeutic dropout. We report results of a secondary grounded theory analysis of individual, couple, and family therapy clients' therapy expectations and their intention to persist in therapy. Participants were 19 clients of MFTs. Results indicate that clients carry expectations about the therapist, therapy process, duration, and outcome. Positive disconfirmation (Tambling & Johnson, 2010) of negative expectations contributed to therapy persistence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mothers who are involved with mental health services (for themselves or their children) rarely receive adequate support for their role as parents. Mental illness in a parent or child often exacerbates the challenges of managing psychological distress that is germane to the parenting roll. Mentalization-based approaches to psychotherapy for parents have the potential to address challenges of emotional regulation in parents by supporting their capacity to recognize and modulate negative affect during stressful parenting situations. In this study, we piloted Mothering from the Inside Out (MIO) with 17 mothers receiving services at a community-based mental health clinic. MIO is a 12-week, mentalization-based parenting intervention that demonstrated efficacy in two previous randomized controlled trials with substance using mothers. In this study, we were interested in determining whether community-based clinicians could deliver MIO with sustained fidelity. We were also interested in examining the preliminary feasibility, acceptability and efficacy of MIO when delivered by clinicians in a community mental health center. Finally, we were interested in replicating prior tests of the proposed treatment mechanisms. Treatment outcomes included maternal reflective functioning, psychiatric and parenting stress, and mother–child interaction quality. Our findings indicated that MIO was feasible and acceptable when delivered in the community-based setting and that all maternal indices improved. However, no improvement in mother–child interaction quality was found, possibly because of insufficient time for these changes to consolidate. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Objectives:Whilst a range of psychosocial interventions are used for people with dementia, there lacks evidence for the processes which underpin them. Systematic reviews focus on quantitative studies and there is a lack of qualitative reviews in the area. The review aimed to address this gap by exploring what existing qualitative studies reveal about the implementation, effects and processes of psychosocial interventions for dementia. Method:A systematic literature search was conducted, identifying 363 studies. Sixteen studies were found to meet the inclusion criteria and assessed for quality using pre-specified criteria. Thematic analysis was used to synthesise the findings. Results:There were 10 descriptive themes. Despite the diversity of the psychosocial interventions, there were common themes in relation to (1) contextual and individual factors affecting implementation (2) perceived impact of the interventions and (3) the processes active in achieving these effects. Study quality was adequate but variable. Conclusion:Common processes may underlie different psychosocial interventions for dementia. The synthesis of qualitative findings can offer insight into what makes interventions ‘work’ and factors which may facilitate or impede their use. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This article examines the construct of Whiteness in Venezuela, which requires a framework that differs from the fixed racial categories commonly used in the United States. In Venezuela, where most citizens are of mixed race and where the concept of race is fluid, race and racism take on more complex forms that include dimensions such as social class, eye color, family, education, and even manners. This means that Whiteness and privilege do not always go hand in hand. I discuss ways in which this culturally defined notion of race can be incorporated into psychotherapy with Latina immigrants to the United States. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The interviews of 10 female counseling psychology doctoral students regarding their views about meaning in life (MIL) were analyzed using consensual qualitative research. The participants defined MIL as goals or purposes, were actively involved in searching for meaning, and believed that MIL had been stimulated by life-changing experiences and culture. On a personal level, they gained meaning from relationships, personal growth, and religion/spirituality. On a professional level, they gained meaning from providing therapy, conducting research, and teaching. As therapists, participants approached MIL indirectly by asking about client goals/motivations or by focusing on other clinical problems that if resolved would enhance MIL. Implications for doctoral training and for psychotherapy are offered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses mental health consultation program in college campuses in the U.S. The main objective of the program is to provide students the necessary psychological services needed. The program is also used to maximize the beneficial changes in the educational environment. Changes made in the environment are conducive to the psychological well being of students. The pilot project was established in the City College of San Francisco in 1970. Since its implementation, over 6,000 students were already given psychotherapy.

Latinos are the largest and fastest growing minority population in the United States, and within that, the proportion of elderly Latinos is also increasing at a very rapid rate. This is due to an increase in longevity and improved health care. Depression and other mental health disorders are common in this group, yet few services exist at present that are culturally appropriate and that have been found, in randomized trials, to be effective with them. Part of the reason for this lag in research and development of clinical services is due to the multiple barriers to seeking and receiving mental health services that exist in Latino communities. This article reviews these barriers as well as existing programs that address them and therefore hold promise as mental health interventions. Although there is an increasing amount of research on older adults in this country, Latino older adults still remain underrepresented in research and underserved clinically. This article also highlights the need to increase appropriate normative data for valid testing, and emphasizes a call for more culturally competent and bilingual clinicians. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Latina immigrants face a number of challenges as they adapt to their new culture. This article presents Relational Cultural Theory (RCT) as a model for understanding the challenges Latina immigrants may present in psychotherapy. The RCT concepts of mutual empathy and empowerment, connections, condemned isolation, the central relational paradox, and power-over dynamics are used to understand the challenges Latina immigrants experience. Sociopolitical and cultural factors that interact to produce power-over dynamics are identified to show how Latina immigrants are at increased risk for major disconnections. A vignette shows how clinicians can use RCT to provide more culturally relevant treatment in their work with Latina immigrants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The idea of societal regression in Bowen family systems theory is illustrated with examples from the author's experience as a licensed psychologist, a student of the history of psychology in the United States, and the executive director of a Bowen family systems theory training center. An introduction to the fundamentals of Bowen family systems theory and its core concept of differentiation of self is presented followed by a consideration of characteristics of the concept of emotional process in society in Bowen theory, of which societal regression is a part. The author examines the question of whether licensing psychotherapists in the United States is evidence of societal regression and asks several questions: What was the threat that prompted the licensing of psychotherapists? Was this a real or imagined threat? What is the evidence? Two hypotheses are examined: (1) that the biggest threat was from incompetent, unqualified, unskilled, and unprincipled people pretending to be psychotherapists from whom the public needed protection and (2) that psychotherapists need economic protection. Drawbacks to licensing are considered followed by a consideration of the question, "If not licensing, then what?" A return to the core concept of differentiation of self in Bowen theory as one answer to this question concludes the article. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We outline the central clinical theories that informed the Project for Mothers, Infants, and Young Children of September 11, 2001. We looked to Bowlby, Winnicott, Mahler, and Ainsworth for the core ideas about the nature of loss and the mother-infant relationship. We also looked to empirical infant research and the microanalysis of videotaped mother-infant interaction to understand early communication patterns. An understanding of nonverbal communication and its use in video feedback was central to our approach. We also describe early childhood psychotherapy and mother-child support groups. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

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Participation in personal therapy during training is required by British accreditation bodies for counselling psychology as well as by most psychotherapy trainings. By contrast, trainee clinical psychologists are not required to undertake personal therapy, although they may elect to. Prior research in Britain and the US suggests that practitioners have a wide range of motives for entering therapy as well as motives for not doing so (Norcross & Connor, 2005). This study addresses the fact that no research to date has specifically explored what individuals beginning their counselling psychology, clinical psychology and counselling training think and feel about participation in personal therapy during training. Data from open-ended questionnaires was analysed using inductive thematic analysis. Two main themes were identified. These consisted of: 'Personal therapy helps me to be a better practitioner', and 'Personal therapy costs me'. The study results are considered in light of the limited prior research and recommendations for training are made. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information on Smith College School for Social Work in the U.S. It states that the school was created with the express purpose of teaching social workers how to treat shell-shocked combat veterans who fought in World War I. It adds that Smith adopted psychoanalytic theory as its central guiding theoretical paradigm. Moreover, it is well known and widely respected for teaching a range of sophisticated theoretical paradigms that students learn and integrate into their clinical practice.

This article is an attempt to cover the scope and development of body-psychotherapy, from Reich's early work in Europe to the growth of different methods of body-psychotherapy, mainly in the USA, subsequent to his death 50 years ago. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Qualitative counseling and psychotherapy research produced in the United Kingdom and in Canada and the United States is examined. It is shown that the methods and methodologies in the British research have been influenced by postmodern epistemology more than in North American work, which reflects a greater effect of positivism. Correspondingly, it is shown that a higher value has been placed on methods in the latter region compared with the former. The differences are discussed in terms of the way the field of counseling has developed in the United Kingdom compared with the United States and Canada. Also discussed are the tensions between realism and relativism and, correspondingly, between positive valuing of method and skepticism. The article concludes with thoughts about the implications of qualitative research for the field of counseling and psychotherapy as a whole. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focuses on relationship and sexual therapies in the context of individual culture and society in the United States. Awareness of clinicians about the ethnic patterns of sexual behavior and social mores; Portrayal of homosexuality in non-Hollywood cinema; Factors influencing the success of sexual therapy among women.

The author reflects on the offer of a group psychotherapy by the American Group Psychotherapy Association (AGPA) Institute in the U.S. AGPA offers group psychotherapy to people who are labeled as lonely and alone. They employ a wide variety of methods during the treatment such as body painting and group discussions about personal lives, depending on the group's preference. An overview of the group activities held by the Institute is offered.

Focuses on the significance of addressing spiritual concerns of sexually abused victims in the U.S. Outcome of integrating Christian teachings with the psychotherapeutic practices; Analysis of the concepts of misogynistic context of Christianity; Therapeutic issues in the context of religious teachings.

The viewpoint of this article is that managed care has caused a crisis of confidence for psychotherapists. As a result the viability of the psychotherapy profession is threatened. The author proposes that this can be alleviated by educating patients to the potential benefits of therapist-patient treatment management and by providing better psychotherapy than managed care. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]