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Background: Counselling psychology training courses in the UK are required to focus upon at least two therapeutic approaches. Such a stipulation means that trainees need to become competent at navigating the complexities associated with therapeutic integration (e.g. tolerating its ambiguous nature), a factor that proves commensurate with the pluralistic stance often advocated in the theoretical writings of counselling psychologists. This study intends to explore such challenges and engage with the philosophical nature of 'being and becoming' a pluralistic therapist. Method: A case study design has been adopted to reflect in depth upon one counselling psychology trainee's understanding of their developing therapeutic practice. The trainee in question kept a detailed reflexive journal whilst undertaking a training activity which involved working as a therapist over a six-week period with a colleague on the same training programme. Cooper and McLeod's (2011) pluralistic framework for counselling and psychotherapy was actively utilised to harness the therapeutic work. The journal was analysed using thematic analysis with a view to eliciting the major themes associated to the trainee's experience of 'becoming a pluralistic therapist'. Findings: Analysis of the data would indicate that the trainee was becoming a pluralistic therapist through the interaction between four selves: the Reflective Self, Thoughtful Self, Relational Self, and Skilled Self. Each of these is briefly introduced and discussed. Discussion and Conclusion: The paper ends by reflecting upon the complexities inherent in using pluralist philosophy to underpin therapeutic work. Incorporated within this, it reflects upon some of the challenges associated with using the pluralistic framework in practice. Finally, the paper provides recommendations for those training in programmes that advocate pluralistic practice. In particular the importance of understanding pluralistic philosophy, the positive role of ambiguity, the personal nature of training, and the need for further research in this area are outlined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drawing on existential thought this paper examines trauma as a lived experience. By focusing on how trauma reveals itself and how it behaves in our everyday, the discussion delivers viewpoints which existential psychotherapists could consider when exploring their clients' trauma or even their own. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the dilemma faced by many current analytic practitioners, particularly in the National Health Service. With the elevation of the idea of 'evidence-based practice' as the increasingly dominant mode of discourse, is it better to try to preserve one's analytic identity and practice by keeping to the psychodynamic model, or is there a case for seeking accommodation with other therapies, even if they are non-analytic? This paper describes the author's experience in pursuing the latter course, in learning a form of therapy called Interpersonal Psychotherapy. The author describes a piece of work using Interpersonal Psychotherapy, and then attempts to give a psychoanalytically informed reading of the same material. The aim is to suggest that although a perfectly adequate account can be given of this clinical work in terms of Interpersonal Psychotherapy, the therapeutic process can also be understood in terms of movements in the transference and in the patient's intra-psychic world. It is finally suggested that adding a psychoanalytic dimension to such a non-analytic therapy may enrich one's practice not only of these other therapies but also of analytic therapy itself. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the question of how counselling psychology might move forward into the future. It argues that, for many counselling psychologists, the defining feature of our profession lies in a humanistic value-base; and that, to move forward, we need to look at how that could be more fully actualised. The paper argues that this value-base is most succinctly expressed in Levinas's concept of 'Welcoming the Other,' and it proposes five ways in which this ethic might be taken forward: developing our capacity to see beyond diagnoses, enhancing our responsiveness, focusing more fully on our client's intelligibility, taking a lead in giving psychology away, and developing our evidence base. The paper concludes by suggesting that the key issue is not the survival of counselling psychology as a profession; but the survival, development and proliferation of this value-base. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports on research with 25 dramatherapists into the use of the concept of core processes (Jones, 1996) in their understanding of their practice. This paper focuses upon the findings of research relating to the process of embodiment (Jones, 1996, 2005). The approach taken involved the use of vignettes and the development of research conversations using aMSN messenger. The paper includes excerpts from vignettes and discusses the findings: looking at how therapists see the process of embodiment in their practice. In conclusion, the author will reflect on the findings in relation to embodiment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Statistical mechanics is the field of physics focusing on the prediction of the behavior of a given system by means of statistical properties of ensembles of its microscopic elements. The authors examined the possibility of applying such an approach to psychotherapy research with the aim of investigating (a) the possibility of predicting good and poor outcomes of psychotherapy on the sole basis of the correlation pattern among their descriptors and (b) the analogies and differences between the processes of good- and poor-outcome cases. This work extends the results reported in a previous paper and is based on higher-order statistics stemming from a complex network approach. Four good-outcome and four poor-outcome brief psychotherapies were recorded, and transcripts of the sessions were coded according to Mergenthaler's Therapeutic Cycle Model (TCM), i.e., in terms of abstract language, positive emotional language, and negative emotional language. The relative frequencies of the three vocabularies in each word-block of 150 words were investigated and compared in order to understand similarities and peculiarities between poor-outcome and good-outcome cases. Network analyses were performed by means of a cluster analysis over the sequence of TCM categories. The network analyses revealed that the linguistic patterns of the four good-outcome and four poor-outcome cases were grounded on a very similar dynamic process substantially dependent on the relative frequency of the states in which the transition started and ended ("random-walk-like behavior", adjusted R 2 = 0.729, p < 0.001). Furthermore, the psychotherapy processes revealed statistically significant changes in the relative occurrence of visited states between the beginning and the end of therapy, thus pointing to the non-stationarity of the analyzed processes. The present study showed not only how to quantitatively describe psychotherapy as a network, but also found out the main principles on which its evolution is based. The mind, from a linguistic perspective, seems to work-through psychotherapy sessions by passing from the most adjacent states and the most occurring ones. This finding can represent a fertile ground to rethink pivotal clinical concepts such as the timing of an interpretation or a comment, the clinical issue to address within a given session, and the general task of a psychotherapist: from someone who delivers a given technique toward a consultant promoting the flexibility of the clinical field and, thus, of the patient's mind. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, I employ the Wittgensteinian conception of meaning as agreement on which uses of language count as correct to argue that it does not make sense to label people “evil” in the sense in which we use the term “evil person” in our linguistic practice. I argue that we cannot give content to what we take ourselves to be asserting when we call an agent “evil.” On the one hand, we mean that she deserves moral condemnation. On the other hand, we mean to assert that she has some psychological trait that probabilizes her doing evil. But because we mean the latter and think that possessing such traits is not something that people can help, neither an agent’s actions nor the traits that probabilize those actions can provide grounds for saying that she deserves moral condemnation as evil. I argue that our attributions of evil to people are not informative statements but performative utterances. When we call an agent “evil,” we are condemning her or excluding her from the moral community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper focuses on the main events and circumstances of establishing psychotherapy as an autonomous profession and also details the specifics of its regulation in Croatia. As no previous research has been published on the topic, this paper has analysed archival documents together with expert interviews to provide the chronology and give an interpretation of the main events. Psychotherapists with different professional backgrounds, trained in diverse approaches, began the quest for the professionalization of psychotherapy in the late 1990s. The formation of an umbrella psychotherapy association and its development marked the progress towards the Law on Psychotherapy Practice that was enacted in July 2018. The Croatian Law on Psychotherapy Practice is discussed in the context of the development of psychotherapy in Croatia and laws and regulations on psychotherapy in other European countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose This is the third paper in a series that reviews strategies for optimizing the validity and utility of randomized clinical trials (RCTs) in addictions treatment research. Whereas the two previous papers focused on design and implementation, here we address issues pertaining to data processing and statistical analysis. Scope Recommendations for enhancing data quality and utility are offered in sections on data coding and entry; and data format, structure and management. We discuss the need for preliminary data analyses that examine statistical power; patterns of attrition; between-group equivalence; and treatment integrity and discriminability. We discuss tests of treatment efficacy, as well as ancillary analyses aimed at explicating treatment processes. Conclusions Safeguards are necessary to protect data quality, and advance planning is needed to ensure that data formats are compatible with statistical objectives. In addition to treatment efficacy, statistical analyses should evaluate study internal and external validity, and investigate the change mechanisms that underlie treatment effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the emergence of NICE guidelines regarding the effectiveness and appropriateness of psychological therapies for the majority of common mental health problems, access to these services is still dramatically underdeveloped and uneven. Estimates of untreated problems such as depression and anxiety in primary care signal the extent of these problems and the scale of investment in new services, if these needs are to be adequately met in the future. The Department of Health's and the Care Services Improvement Partnership's (CSIP) Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) programme sets out a framework and a series of co-ordinated actions, including two national demonstration sites, to begin to address these issues in England. This paper examines the origins and policy drivers that have given rise to the IAPT programme, outlines the progress to date and specifically assesses the implications for the mental health workforce of this programme. Issues addressed include the workforce profiles of existing services, career frameworks for psychological therapists, the capacity of training providers to train new and existing staff in psychological therapies and the challenges implicit in devising a workforce delivery plan to support the IAPT programme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The role of a child psychotherapist's gender is not often considered in terms of treatment outcome. This paper discusses how aspects of being a male child psychotherapist influenced the successful treatment of a very young boy with Asperger's Syndrome. The paper highlights how the nature of his very early relationship with his mother and the absence of his father were the basis of his difficulties resulting in that diagnosis. It shows that his desire to seize the opportunity of working with a male enabled him to understand his feelings about his father, why it was so difficult to want to be with him and not his mother, and why he could not be without her. Le rôle joué par le sexe du psychothérapeute d'enfants dans les effets du traitement est rarement pris en compte. Dans cet article, l'auteur montre qu'à un certain niveau le fait d'être un psychothérapeute homme eut une influence sur la réussite de la thérapie d'un très jeune garçon présentant un syndrome d'Asperger. Selon l'auteur, la nature de la relation précoce entre ce petit garçon et sa mère, ainsi que l'absence de son père, étaient à l'origine des difficultés qui conduisirent à ce diagnostic. Il montre que le désir de l'enfant de se saisir de l'occasion ainsi offerte de travailler avec un homme lui permit de comprendre trois éléments essentiels : ses sentiments à l'égard de son père, la raison pour laquelle il lui était tellement difficile de vouloir être avec lui plutôt que de rester avec sa mère, et ce qui faisait qu'il ne pouvait pas se passer de celle-ci. Die Rolle des Geschlechts des Kindertherapeuten wird nicht oft bezüglich des Behandlungsergebnis in Betracht bezogen. Dieser Artikel diskutiert, wie Aspekte dessen, ein männlicher Kindertherapeut zu sein, die erfolgreiche Behandlung eines sehr kleinen Jungen mit Asperger Syndrom beeinflussten. Der Artikel unterstreicht, wie die Art seiner frühen Beziehung zu seiner Mutter und die Abwesenheit seines Vaters die Grundlage seiner Schwierigkeiten bildeten, die zu dieser Diagnose führten. Es zeigt, dass sein Wunsch, die Gelegenheit zu ergreifen, mit einem Mann zu arbeiten, ihm ermöglichte, seine Gefühle seinem Vater gegenüber zu verstehen, warum es so schwierig war, mit ihm und nicht seiner Mutter sein zu wollen und warum er nicht ohne sie sein konnnte. Riassunto: Il ruolo che gioca il sesso dello psicoterapeuta infantile non è solitamente considerato in relazione al risultato del trattamento. In questo articolo si discute come il fatto di avere un terapeuta maschile abbia influenzato per certi aspetti il risultato positivo del trattamento di un bambino molto piccolo che soffriva della Sindrome di Asperger. L'articolo illustra come la natura della sua primissima relazione con la madre e l'assenza del padre furono alla base delle sue difficoltà che portarono alla diagnosi. L'articolo mostra come il desiderio del bambino di lavorare con un terapeuta maschile gli ha permesso di capire i suoi sentimenti verso il padre, perché era così difficile voler restare con lui e lo stesso non succedeva con sua madre, e perché non poteva restare senza di lei. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carole Levaque, a nurse, psychotherapist, and psychoanalyst, passed away in 2022. She was known for her passion for life and her love of exploring new cultures and adventures. Carole co-founded the Puentes Psicoanalíticos con America Latina seminar, which aimed to build bridges between psychoanalytic communities in Canada, the US, and Latin America. She was also involved in various projects and presentations related to psychoanalysis. Carole worked in private practice for over 30 years and later volunteered at La Casa de la Familia in Peru, where she applied her psychoanalytic skills to help families and children in need. Upon her return to Montreal, she worked with Médecins du Monde, providing healthcare to the homeless and uninsured immigrants. Carole had a deep curiosity and desire to learn, and she enjoyed reading, traveling, and cooking. She was a private person but had friends all over the world. Before her passing, Carole completed a paper on "mourning one's own death," which was accepted for publication. She died surrounded by loved ones. [Extracted from the article]

In 2019, mass infections caused by the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus and the disease caused by it became the reason for global social, economic and health crises. This situation required changes, also in the field of psychotherapeutic practice and the implementation of new solutions. One of the possibilities of continuing services provision was to start the Internet usage Aim: The purpose of this paper is to review the latest research related to the experiences of psychotherapists working online during the pandemic. An additional goal is to present the broadest possible analysis of the literature based on research conducted in various countries around the world. Materials: Google Scholar, PubMed, Scopus and PsycNet were searched for a review. From among the search results that met the general criteria, those related to psychotherapeutic practice in the given countries were selected. Conclusions: Online psychotherapy has become a significant component of psychotherapeutic practice during a pandemic. Earlier expectations and concerns could be verified. The presented results of selected studies create a picture of the functioning of psychotherapists in many countries and constitute the basis for future research and forecasts for the development of psychotherapy after the pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores two sides of the coin with respect to the topic of the aging therapist in clinical practice: a diminution of health resulting in an inability to recognize the need to retire and a choice to retire while in good health to pursue other ways of living. It is my position that some distinguished practitioners of psychoanalysis and psychoanalytic therapy, for a myriad of complicated reasons, are unable to deal with the diminution of their faculties-a symptom of dementia-that renders them incapable of making a critical assessment as to whether they should continue to practice. Using material gathered from interviews, I attempt to ascertain why clinicians are leery of open discussion of these issues. In a field where self-examination is paramount, why are therapists reticent to acknowledge the reality of cognitive impairment as a factor in functionality, before it occurs? In addition, can therapists embrace, without negative attribution, other therapists' choice to retire in good health-at the 'top of their game'-in order to pursue other important developmental milestones, which lay outside the practice of psychotherapy? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective:To characterise how psychotherapy with people who expereince psychosis is conducted in Poland, and by whom. Method:A nation-wide online survey and paper and pencil enquiry comprised of 40 questions and addressed mainly to the members of psychological, psychiatric and psychotherapeutic associations was administered to a sample of 1196 people who provide psychotherapy. Results:Of the 1196 therapists surveyed, 30.8% reported working with people experiencing psychosis. Therapists working with psychotic people were more likely than the rest of the therapists to have graduated in medicine, worked in a psychiatric hospital or public counselling centre and trained in psychoanalytic or psychodynamic psychotherapy. No difference in gender and age or years of experience was found between the two groups. Conclusions:The percentage of therapists working with psychotic patients in Poland is similar to the international average, but lower than in Austria. Psychoanalytic and psychodynamic psychotherapists play an important role in the psychological treatment of people experiencing psychosis in Poland. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bilingual clients in psychotherapy with bilingual therapists have choices as to which language to use. Psychoanalytic case studies suggest that the use of the second language, learned post childhood, reduces access to deeper emotional material and is mainly viewed as a defensive manoeuvre leading to intellectualizing detachment. Linguistic and neurological studies support the view that the use of the second language can lead to a reduced degree of emotionality in the recall of memories. However, this paper suggests that there is a different and enabling dimension to such clients' language choices. Their own and their therapist's bilingualism and biculturalism open a transferential field where language choices are mapped onto deeper inter- and intra-psychic conflicts and can thus allow access to them rather than defensively hide them. Case material from work with bilingual clients is explored to illustrate this. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Psychotherapists need effective tools to monitor changes in the patient's affective perception of the therapist and the therapeutic relationship during sessions to tailor therapeutic interventions and improve treatment outcomes. This study aims to evaluate the factor structure, reliability, and validity of the in-Session Patient Affective Reactions Questionnaire (SPARQ), a concise self-report measure designed for practical application in real-world psychotherapy settings. Methods: Validation data was gathered from (N = 700) adult patients in individual psychotherapy. These patients completed the SPARQ in conjunction with additional measures capturing sociodemographic details, characteristics of therapeutic interventions, individual personality traits, mental health symptom severity, elements of the therapeutic relationship, and session outcomes. This comprehensive approach was employed to assess the construct and criterionrelated validity of the SPARQ. Results: The SPARQ has a two-factor structure: Positive Affect (k = 4, ω total = .87) and Negative Affect (k = 4, ω total = .75). Bifactor confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) yielded the following fit indices: X²[df]=2.53, CFI = .99;TLI = .98;RMSEA=.05; and SRMR = .02. Multi-group CFAs demonstrated measurement invariance (i) across patients who attended psychotherapy sessions in person versus in remote mode, and (ii) across patients with and without psychiatric diagnoses confirmed metric invariance. Furthermore, the SPARQ showed meaningful correlations with concurrently administered measures. Discussion: The SPARQ proves to be a valuable instrument in clinical, training, and research contexts, adept at capturing patients' session-level affective responses towards their therapist and perceptions of the therapeutic alliance. Comprehensive descriptive statistics and a range of score precision indices have been reported, intended to serve as benchmarks for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In 2017, a reform of the German outpatient psychotherapy guideline was carried out, aiming to reduce waiting times and facilitate lowthreshold access. This study analyzes the extent to which the implementation of the two new service elements 'psychotherapeutic consultation times' and 'acute short-term psychotherapeutic interventions' improved psychotherapeutic care for patients with mental disorders and chronic physical conditions (cMPs), for patients with mental disorders without chronic physical conditions (MnoP), and elderly patients. Methods: In a quantitative secondary analysis, we analyzed health insurance data of patients with psychotherapy billing codes obtained from the National Association of Statutory Health Insurance Physicians (KBV) for the years 2015-2019, evaluating descriptive statistical parameters for specific patient groups and care services. Results: Between 2015 and 2019, the number of mentally ill receiving psychotherapy at least once in the corresponding year increased by 30.7%. Among these, the proportion of cMPs-patients increased from 26.8% to 28.2% (+1.4%), while that of MnoP-patients decreased from 68.3% to 66.4% (-1.9%). The number of elderly people receiving treatment also increased. Conclusion: Since increases and decreases in the percentage shares occur evenly over the years investigated, it is questionable whether the reform in 2017 has had a direct influence on these changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract This World Congress issue is much concerned with the political unpreparedness of we psychotherapists. Is 'professionalization' a mask for anti-constitutionalism? The processes of psychotherapy are a microcosm of the essential power situation, and our tendencies to take constitutional short-cuts alienate us from the roots of our values. Power issues in these papers include how we deal with our disagreements by hegemonic theoretical manoeuvres (Dr Slunecko); the alienating roots of the fragmentation, and the primitive fascistic and racist reactions, in political organization in central Europe (John Salvendy); the non-negotiated character of the normal forms of outcome research in psychotherapy, and the need for a more consensual qualitative model of quality assurance (Chahid Fourali); the marginalization of the schizophrenic client, and the demonstration that nonmarginalization is deeply therapeutic (Dr Dorman) ; the limited degree of specific subtlety in the law which would afford clients and psychotherapists appropriate protection (Annabell Bell-Boule); and other briefer relevant contributions. The lack of constitutional ground on which to face our radical power issues and differences, in psychotherapy, leaves a vacuum for power-mongering, and marginalization, paralleling the wider vacuum in our political world as a whole. Orwell evoked this in Nineteen Eighty Four, and these trends are alive in the modern, post-Hitler, era, though no longer called 'national socialism'. Heidegger is a major example of how serious the attraction is even for the most brilliant. The fault line which opens the doors to National Socialism is the political equivalent of loss of memory, involving a direct alliance of central leadership (Fuhrer principle) and populist base. This fascist defence against isolation is mirrored in the forms of schizoid concreteness experienced by the marginalized. But rational political norms winnow through our better values in the long run. Ou... [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alliance negotiation is defined as the patient and therapist's ability to solve relational problems and disagreements (in therapeutic goals and tasks) during therapy. Although this construct is essentially a dyadic notion, with important clinical implication for treatments of different theoretical frameworks, currently there is only one instrument that can measure alliance negotiation and it is only based on the patients' perspective about therapy. The aim of this paper is to develop and examine the preliminary psychometric properties of the Alliance Negotiation Scale, therapist form. In the context of the importance attributed to analyzing relational constructs with a dyadic perspective, this instrument will not only allow to measure the perception of alliance negotiation from therapist's point of view, but also it will provide the necessary information to have a dyadic measurement of alliance negotiation by using both the original Alliance Negotiation Scale and the Alliance Negotiation Scale, therapist form in the same cases. With this purpose, a sample of 188 therapists from different theoretical frameworks completed an initial pool of twenty four preliminary items of the Alliance Negotiation Scale, therapist form. All the items of Alliance Negotiation Scale, therapist form, were developed based on the original Alliance Negotiation Scale, adapted to be completed by the therapist, and scored in a seven point Likert scale ranging from 1 (Never) to 7 (Always). The sample of therapist also completed the Working Alliance Inventory, therapist from, a widely spread standard measure of therapeutic alliance. For both instruments we asked the therapist to answer the measures thinking about a patient they have recently treated. To avoid a bias in patients' selection and ceiling effects in alliance scores, half of the sample of therapists was randomized to use as a reference a patient they considered easy, while the other half was asked to select a difficult patient. For data analyzes we first ran a principal component analysis in order to find the best factorial solution for the items and to establish the construct validity of the scale. Based on that factorial solution we analyzed the internal consistency of the final version of the Alliance Negotiation Scale, therapist form, using Cronbach's alphas coefficients and item's homogeneity using adjusted itemtotal correlations. Finally, to test for criterion validity we explored the associations between the Alliance Negotiation Scale, therapist form, and the Working Alliance Inventory, therapist from, using Pearson's correlations. The principal component analysis suggested a one-dimensional solution integrated by nine items, explaining a 42.16% of the total variance. All the items in this solution had factorial weights above .40. Furthermore, the analysis of reliability on this version of the scale showed an adequate internal consistency (Cronbach's α = .82). The adjusted item-total correlations presented also evidences of homogeneity (r's range: between .34 and .66), suggesting that all the items explores different aspects from a common construct, without being redundant. Finally, the correlations between the Alliance Negotiation Scale, therapist form, and the Working Alliance Inventory, therapist from, presented evidences of criterion validity (r with WAI: .51, p < .001). This result showed an association between the measures but also indicate that they do not measure the exact some construct. The specific characteristics and properties of the Working Alliance Inventory, therapist from, presented in this paper, suggested that this measure represents an important contribution both for clinical practice and research. Future studies will need to further explore and confirm the psychometric properties of the Working Alliance Inventory, therapist from, and analyze its application for dyadic measures of the therapeutic alliance negotiation in psychotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although previous studies investigated the characteristics of therapeutic alliance in group treatments, there is still a dearth of research on group alliance ruptures and repairs. The model by Safran and Muran was originally developed to address therapeutic alliance in individual therapies, and the usefulness of this approach to group intervention needs to be demonstrated. Alliance ruptures are possible at member to therapist, member to member, member to group levels. Moreover, repairs of ruptures in group are quite complex, i.e., because other group members have to process the rupture even if not directly involved. The aim of the current study is to review the empirical research on group alliance, and to examine whether the rupture repair model can be a suitable framework for clinical understanding and research of the complexity of therapeutic alliance in group treatments. We provide clinical vignettes and commentary to illustrate theoretical and research aspects of therapeutic alliance rupture and repair in groups. Our colleague Jeremy Safran made a substantial contribution to research on therapeutic alliance, and the current paper illustrates the enduring legacy of this work and its potential application to the group therapy context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Through one clinical example involving complex post-traumatic stress disorder, this paper explores the ways in which the psychoanalytic psychotherapist may need to find creative ways of working which incorporate findings from neuroscience whilst holding the basic frame and methods of the traditional psychoanalytic approach. This entails bringing knowledge of how the body (including the brain) works into the consulting room. In particular, the author describes ways of accompanying the patient during florid flashbacks to chronic and severe childhood abuse and of using grounding techniques afterwards, so that anxiety levels can be sufficiently contained for the necessary therapeutic work to take place. The role of supervision is also explored in terms of how the dynamic of rescuer/victim/persecutor may be played out in the supervisory relationship. Unusually, some of the patient's own reflections, written at the end of the therapy, have been incorporated into the paper. Consideration is given to whether departures from standard psychoanalytic technique constitute boundary violations or useful enactments, which can be seen as a form of creativity which enables the work to move on. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore significant events in psychotherapy with clients with intellectual disabilities (IDs).Design/methodology/approach Four therapy dyads, each consisting of one client and one therapist, were recruited. Following the brief structured recall procedure (Elliott and Shapiro, 1988), semi-structured interviews focused on helpful events in psychotherapy, using video of particular sessions as a stimulus to help prompt recall of that session.Findings Using interpretative phenomenological analysis, five super-ordinate themes were identified: “The Uniqueness of the Therapeutic Relationship”; “Using adaptations to Express Emotions”; “Client Behaviour/Therapist Behaviour”; “Hope and Paternalism”; and “Meaning-Making”. The results provide additional evidence that significant therapy events occur for clients with IDs. Furthermore, the research enabled insights to be gained about the process of therapy for this client group and for exploration of therapeutic factors that may be involved in facilitating a significant therapy event.Research limitations/implications This study highlights the need for therapists to work in such a way as to facilitate significant events in therapy. Whilst this study was a necessary first step, owing to the non-existence of research in this area, the sample size and qualitative design may limit any wider generalisation of the findings.Originality/value Significant events have not previously been explored in psychotherapy with clients with IDs. This research could therefore make an important contribution to our understanding of the process of psychotherapy for this client group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Rewind is a brief trauma-focussed imaginal exposure treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), however evidence for this treatment is limited. Aim: The aim of this paper was to provide preliminary evidence of its efficacy in the treatment of PTSD symptoms. Method: A practice-based pre-post treatment design with an intention-to-treat analysis was used. Sixty three people were treated with Rewind in three separate services. Participants were assessed using the Impact of Events Scale (IES) prior to treatment and were re-assessed at a two-week follow-up. All participants who scored above 25 on the IES were included and there were no other exclusion criteria. Results: There was an overall data capture rate of 95%. After treatment, 55 (87%) participants were below the IES clinical cut-off and, other than three participants with missing data, all participants showed reliable improvement using the IES Reliable Change Index. Conclusion: These preliminary findings suggest that Muss’ Rewind may offer a useful treatment for PTSD symptoms. Rewind may be cost-effective, given the number of sessions that were required and the relative effectiveness of newly trained therapists in delivering the therapy. Despite methodological limitations, these results suggest that a randomised controlled trial is warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper contributes to a recent call for dialogue between the different professional groups representing psychotherapy in Europe. At present, two core psychotherapy groups exist in Europe, namely the EAP, representing psychotherapy, and EFPA, representing psychologists specialising in psychotherapy. This article compares and contrasts two competency frameworks representative of these bodies, which capture the skills, knowledge, reasoning and values of the respective professions. The shared and divergent competencies are identified and discussed, followed by suggestions for potential changes in future European competency frameworks. By doing this, we not only respond to the recent call for dialogue but also promote collaboration and discussion between the professional groups representing psychotherapeutic practice both in Europe and beyond. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present paper is devoted to the description of a model that may support the theoretical integration and the clinical advance of current psychotherapy. On one hand, it reports a narrative review of the common trends of the so‐called Third Wave of Cognitive‐Behavioural Therapy and other modern approaches. On the other hand, it defines epistemological tools that may help therapists in understanding such trends. The model comprises five main principles that are explained in terms of theoretical and clinical implications. Further studies are needed in order to prove its clinical effectiveness and extensively report the subsumed therapeutic mechanisms. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The backstage of research projects is seldom presented to the general audience, in particular, how the research questions emerged, how the team interacted and how the methods and design were decided upon. Aim: In this paper we will recount the story behind an international practice‐based research network for personalising health assessment, the joint journey of researchers and therapists from three different countries in creating the Individualised Patient‐Progress System (IPPS). Results: We first describe how the idea of the IPPS emerged; then we show how IPPS is being piloted and integrated into clinical practice. Next, we present the views of therapists and researchers who have been part of this project. Conclusions: We discuss some lessons learned from this 14‐year collaborative research programme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: With a view on understanding the general framework of the anxiety issue within which change must be operated, one must investigate both the therapist's and the client's perspective from the very beginning. The challenge of finding out what lies under the so complex symptoms of anxiety, of discovering what mechanisms cause, facilitate and fuel them, by retracing, understanding and giving new significance to every client's life story thread, constitutes the most laborious and, at the same time, the most exciting aspect both for the therapist and for the client. Objectives: The general objective of the paper consists in identifying the mechanism of individual change within the integrative-unifying psychotherapeutic labour, while the practical-applicative one refers to offering a possible methodological register in order for practitioners to be capable of monitoring the dynamics. Method: The present paper represents „an excerpt” from an ampler study that analysed, using qualitative methodology, the effects of the integrative-unifying therapeutic endeavour of experiential type on anxious-depressive disorders. Results: The effects resulting from an integrative psychotherapeutic endeavour of experiential type on people suffering from subclinical anxious-depressive disorder, who were monitored dynamically and during follow-up, were the following: the remission of the anxious-depressive disorder symptoms, assuming anxiety as an emotional state signalling misbalance that can be solved by discovering the mechanism causing it and by connecting to one's own resources, by identifying blocking and neurotic repetitive individual behavioural patterns with similar finality and individual psychological mechanisms of anxiety. Conclusions: The structuring on three dimensions (symptoms, the existential dimension and the dimension across generations) of working methods and techniques used within the integrative-unifying psychotherapeutic endeavour highlights the importance of monitoring the client's individual dynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The author comments on the article "Transference as a Therapeutic Instrument," by Clara Thompson and her life. She discusses the development of Thompson's positions on feminine psychology and the therapist-patient relationship, with particular focus on the contributions of Thompson to psychoanalysis. The author states that Thompson and Sullivan tried to correct the imbalance of social psychoanalytic metapsychology for drive theory by understanding human attitude in health and in illness.

Over the past three years, Greece has been in the throes of economic and social crises. The crises have been triggered by the implementation of severe austerity policies and have been connected with negative effects on people's mental health and well-being. Consequently, psychological therapies have been instigated to respond to the arising systemic and political problems such as unemployment, deprivation and economic oppression. Traditional modes of intervention based on individualization, depoliticization and pa-thologization are hard pressed to help people confront such issues. Could mainstream approaches prevail? Using the mythical and tragic hero Prometheus, this review focuses on how psychotherapists and counsellors can help people who have been confronting insurmountable problems to reflect on the meaning of human suffering and develop active resistance against unjust authority in adverse conditions [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT The aim of this paper is to explore how Shakespeare drew on contemporary life to assist society to manage profound loss, uncertainty and anxiety. This was achieved through providing a forum, both in the 'here and now', via the plays and other works, and through creating a body of work for future generations to mine. This evolved over time to penetrate and fertilize the global community. In these ways Shakespeare helps us all to metabolize anxiety and despair and continue to move forward in the struggle of life. The paper includes a detailed discussion of the interpretations and applications of the works and their relevance to professionals who work within the space in which suffering and despair inhabit. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the author's opinion on Lesley Murdin's paper titled "The Future of the Transference-Based Therapies." According to the author, the paper raises important questions with regard to the future of psychotherapy that clinicians should not ignore. It notes that there are some who believe that psychotherapists should publicize the results they can achieve because slow and difficult work of a long-term therapy does not fit the quick-fix culture.

Emmanuel Levinas’ semi-phenomenological analyses of the “face-to-face” encounter with “the other” are frequently alluded to in the therapeutic literature. Indeed, for some therapists, Levinas provides the conceptual apparatus to reconfigure traditional therapeutic practice. While acknowledging the importance of his work, in this article I raise critical questions about the way Levinas’ ideas are often used by psychotherapists. The discussion is divided into five sections: First, I provide a short explanation of the motivations for writing this paper. Second, I offer an overview of some prominent themes therapists typically draw from Levinas’ writings. Next, I present my own reconstruction of the face-to-face encounter. Then, drawing on the previous reconstruction, I outline the main questions Levinas-inspired therapists need to address. Finally, I reconsider the potential significance of Levinas’ work for therapists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a construct, the elaboration of countertransference experience (ECE) is intended to depict the implicit and explicit psychological work to which therapists submit their experiences with clients. Through ECE, defined as a mentalizing process of a particular kind, therapists' experiences are presumed to acquire and increase in mental quality and become available for meaning‐making and judicious clinical use. In this paper, we claim that such an ongoing process facilitates engagement with common therapeutic factors, such as the therapeutic alliance and countertransference management, enhancing therapist responsiveness in psychotherapy. We synthesize relevant literature on countertransference, mentalization, and, in particular, therapists' mentalization, informed by a systematic literature review. As a result, we propose a model for assessing ECE in psychotherapy, comprising 6 diversely mentalized countertransference positions (factual‐concrete, abstract‐rational, projective‐impulsive, argumentative, contemplative‐mindful, and mentalizing), 2 underlying primary dimensions (experiencing, reflective elaboration), and 5 complementary dimensions of elaboration. Strengths and limitations of the model are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Background: In a highly technical civilization like ours, in which the interest in human communication transcends academic barriers and clinical practice, it seems necessary to look back to Ruesch’s work in psychiatry. The main reason of it rests upon the idea that he was one of the few truly outstanding clinicians, researchers, and theoretical in the field of normal and abnormal communication. In fact, he did not only present a wealth of observational and clinical data; more importantly, he used these data to formulate creative hypotheses about the conflict between man and other human beings. Aim/Objective: The main purpose of this article is to pay tribute to Dr. Jurgen Ruesch (1909-1995), distinguished psychiatrist, communications experts and psychotherapist. For that reason, here we want to pay tribute to the enormous value of his work for the promotion of mental health and the clinical assessment of normal and pathological communication behavior. Methods: In working out his theoretical stance toward communication, all Ruesch’s works here have been reviewed. In line with this, the author also mentions similarities between Ruesch and other psychiatric/psychotherapeutic authors. Also similarities have been established between Ruesch and Frank on “non specific factors in psychotherapy”, and tensions within contemporary training of psychiatrists, almost predicted by Ruesch. Results and Conclusions: While some of Ruesch’s ideas about the nature and origins of communication has been discounted, many of his preoccupations are now part of the mainstream, and it is to here that we should look for evidence of his legacy. In fact, he has been the author of rich and fruitful ideas, which are essential to clinical understanding of mental diseases and their treatments. It is not surprising, therefore, that Ruesch’s burning interest in the clinical assessment of normal and pathological communicative behavior finds a significant echo in today’s proliferation of books, papers, and conferences on communication. For all that, we should honor him. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper addresses how musical metaphors can be useful in understanding the substructure of psychotherapy by considering how our patients resonate inside us, what that resonance does to and for us, and how these acoustic properties seem to be foundational in the construction of the therapist as an instrument of healing. From this perspective, psychotherapy involves “living music” with another person, as the process of psychotherapy always involves the passing of sound back and forth across an interpersonal divide. This requires both psychotherapist and patient to step into the roles of performer and audience member. Additionally, psychotherapists can be meaningfully thought of not only as an “instrument” of healing, but also an “instrumentalist” who produces unique “therapeutic music.” Moreover, the patient and therapist cocreate the concert space in which treatment is performed. This concert space has unique “architectural,” and thus acoustic, properties within which we hear and remember one another. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Readily acknowledged but rarely understood, Openness, as a concept in psychotherapy, invites further attention. This paper takes philosophy as its starting point and continues by exploring the writings of therapists from across the spectrum of modalities. It also incorporates recent, personal research in order to elucidate a therapeutic understanding of Openness. This review into Openness begins with an image: Heidegger's forest clearing (die Lichtung), his metaphor for the Openness of Being. Following on from this, the subject is approached through a series of descriptions: the nature of Self, therapeutic presence and similarities between Openness and mindfulness. At the same time, the paper acknowledges the difficulties experienced by therapist when staying-with the anxiety evoked by Openness. In short, this paper sheds light on how therapists embody Openness in their work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper contains the reflections of the first author as a forensic psychologist working with convicted terrorists in prison between 2008 and 2011, and subsequently as an academic and government consultant in this field. The task of making sense of this learning has been helped by a psychoanalytic understanding of the causes of terrorism by the second author who is a psychotherapist and group analyst. Psychoanalytic processes of defences, splitting and projection throw light on the potential unconscious thoughts, feelings and behaviour of those who resort to terrorism. Two broad groups are identified whose motivations are ostensibly noble cause and criminality respectively, but whose involvement also serves to avenge their personal humiliations and feelings of injustice that are projected into a political cause. A third group is also described of mainly lone actors motivated by pathological narcissism. It is proposed that terrorism manifests as a political phenomenon but is also a form of communication that reveals much about the state of mind of those who choose to become involved. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Section ’26 of the Counter-Terrorism and Security Act 2015 places a duty on local authorities and public sector institutions to have ‘due regard to the need toPreventpeople from being drawn into terrorism’. Accordingly, NHS staff are now required to attend a Workshop to Raise Awareness ofPrevent(WRAP), ensuring they are trained to spot the ideological symptoms and psychosocial vulnerabilities thought to predict extremist activity. In this paper, I suggest that the insertion of counter-radicalisation duties into the work of psychotherapists and other mental health professionals is not simply to be understood as an attempt to forestall and avert extremist activity. Rather, drawing on the work of Georgio Agamben and Judith Butler, I argue it can be viewed as an innovative tactic of governmentality whose technologies of surveillance ensure a culture of conformity in the NHS through which a ‘state of exception’ can be established and normalised. I illuminate this by examining two interrelated aspects of thePreventduty: one, the decision by the government to embedPreventwithin the existing rhetoric and practice of ‘safeguarding vulnerable children and adults’; and two, its discursive representation of the consulting room as ‘pre-criminal space’. I conclude by suggesting that the government’s determination to allow ‘no ungoverned space in which extremism is allowed to flourish’ targets the limits of acceptable speech and so the very conditions for radical thought and critique on which psychotherapy depends. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A total of 1196 persons conducting psychotherapy in Poland fully completed a nationwide online survey (or, alternatively, a paper and pencil enquiry) concerning their education, training, experience, and clinical work (professional environment, patients treated). The results are described in detail and compared with findings of similar studies from other countries. Among the primary findings were: (1) psychotherapy in Poland is conducted mostly by women (80 %); (2) almost all participants have an MA degree (91 %), including 75.2 % having graduated in psychology; (3) the therapists are well trained (mean number of training hours is above 942) and established (average experience is about 9.8 years), however, more than half of the therapists have no type of certificate; (4) 54 % of respondents identify with the integrative or eclectic orientation and, simultaneously, for 48.6 % of the therapists the most important approach is either psychodynamic or psychoanalytic; (5) the most common form of therapy is individual psychotherapy in private practice; (6) the majority of the therapists treat adult patients with anxiety or personality disorders. In sum, the results show that psychotherapeutic practice is well established in Poland and many indices are similar to those found in Western countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Affirmative therapy is a type of psychotherapy used to validate and advocate for the needs of sexual and gender minority clients. Therapists use verbal and nonverbal means to demonstrate an affirming stance toward lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) clients. Although this therapeutic approach can be used with LGBT individuals across the lifespan, the case presented in this paper highlights the benefit of using this approach with older LGBT individuals. Discussion of the unique challenges faced by older LGBT people will be followed with an illustrative case that shows ways that affirmative therapy can help individuals achieve greater self-actualization. The case formulation and conclusion will highlight specific ways that therapists can convey an affirmative stance and help clients feel welcome and accepted in the therapeutic setting. Recommendations for environmental cues, intake questions, and treatment skills will be offered at the conclusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Legal liability of a psychotherapy provider in non-medical facilities and the related death of a psychotherapist from a legal point of view The topic of the paper is an analysis of selected legal aspects of the legal liability of psychotherapy providers outside health care facilities and the legal consequences of the death of such a psychotherapist in the context of client data protection [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Questionable health practices, be it non-adhering to official recommendations or resorting to non-evidence based ones, pose a considerable burden to public health. Research in this special issue explores the psychological roots of proneness to this type of health behavior. The authors look into individual differences in personality traits, cognitive styles, but also situational factors such as institutional trust and feeling of economic/health threat as predictors of a broad range of behaviors: non-compliance with COVID health measures/prescribed prophylactic regimen for chronic illnesses, avoiding vaccination, but also endorsing supplements and herbal remedies or alternative psychotherapies. This collection of papers offers valuable insights that could be implemented in tailoring short-term (pandemic-related messages) and long-term (building more trust in institutions or science) guidelines for health communicators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Minoritised individuals (people identifying as belonging to groups experiencing socially constructed power inequalities) frequently experience mental health inequalities. Mental health services have often, intentionally or inadvertently, perpetuated these inequalities due to historic and ongoing systemic discrimination. To reduce inequalities, mental health services must address ongoing systemic discrimination and improve cultural-sensitivity of clinical staff. One method of improving clinician cultural-sensitivity is through reflective practice groups. This project evaluates a staff Equality Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) reflective space within a community psychological therapies team. A mixed methods approach of survey feedback and semi-structured interviews was used. Staff found the reflective space beneficial for improving their clinical skills relating to issues of EDI and helpful for their own wellbeing. Staff also found the EDI reflective space both acceptable and feasible and were keen to attend future sessions. However, some clinicians highlighted challenges relating to fear of judgment and evaluation from others. Findings are discussed in relation to the growing body of evidence of the usefulness of staff reflective spaces in healthcare generally, and provide specific support for the implementation of EDI reflective spaces. Guidance for developing an EDI staff reflective space for healthcare staff are discussed, alongside limitations and possible future research directions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]