Comments on the original article, "The efficacy of psychodynamic psychotherapy," by J. Shedler. Shedler summarized a large body of research that shows psychodynamic therapy to have a substantial effect size, comparable to that for many empirically supported treatments. This is an important finding, in part refuting the concerns raised by Bornstein…

The comment on the Ryan, Lynch, Vansteenkiste, and Deci (2011) article on motivation and autonomy in psychotherapy considers motivation and its role as prerequisite, process variable, or appropriate outcome, speculating that all are appropriate ways to conceptualize motivation in the behavior change process. Autonomy, as a useful addition, refers…

Comments on the original article, "The efficacy of psychodynamic psychotherapy," by J. Shedler. Shedler's informative article raised several issues worthy of comment. His choice of the word distinctive (p. 98) in describing aspects of psychodynamic technique is open to at least two interpretations. On the one hand, distinctive can have a…

Responds to the comments by D. McKay; B. D. Thombs, L. R. Jewett, and M. Bassel; M. D. Anestis, J. C. Anestis, and S. O. Lilienfeld; and W. W. Tryon and G. S. Tryon on the current author's original article, "The efficacy of psychodynamic psychotherapy." The academic psychology literature is filled with pronouncements about psychodynamic theory,…

Comments on the original article, "The efficacy of psychodynamic psychotherapy," by J. Shedler. As Shedler noted, some researchers have reflexively and stridently dismissed psychodynamic therapy (PT) as ineffective without granting outcome studies on this modality a fair hearing. We applaud Shedler's efforts to bring PT into the scientific…

In a recent article in this journal, Poston and Hanson (2010) reported a meta-analysis of 17 studies on the use of psychological assessment as a therapeutic intervention (PATI) and concluded that "psychological assessment procedures--when combined with personalized, collaborative, and highly involving test feedback--have positive, clinically…

This reaction article comments on the major contribution titled "Motivation and Autonomy in Counseling, Psychotherapy, and Behavior Change: A Look at Theory and Practice." It first points out the article's strengths, the primary of which was to move the construct of motivation to the center of focus in the discussion of counseling. In addition,…

This article presents the authors' response to a comment made by O'Kearney and Wilmoth on their article. The authors mention that O'Kearney and Wilmoth's rejoinder contained many positive features and supported the common aim of delivering best practice, improved access and equity, and cost efficiency in psychological therapies. They added that it…

Objective: Studies examining psychological trauma or posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in ethnoracial or sexual minority groups are relatively few. The "Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology" recently published 4 articles (Balsam, Lehavot, Beadnall, & Circo, 2010; Harrington, Crowther, & Shipherd, 2010; Lester, Resick, Young-Xu, & Artz,…

The authors respond to the article by H. F. Coelho, P. H. Canter, and E. Ernst (2007), which reviewed the current status of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT). First, they clarify the randomization procedures in the 2 main MBCT trials. Second, they report posttreatment and follow-up data to show that trial participants allocated to…

Relates a case history of the stormy psychotherapy of a young man with borderline syndrome involving powerful self-hatred and self-destructive urges. Concludes that his progress in therapy was marked by distinct changes in the poetry he wrote for his therapist. (PA)

Reacts to four cognitive-behavioral therapeutic approaches of systematic desensitization, rational restructuring, anxiety management training, and stress inoculation training, and to previous articles discussing the approaches. Concludes that approaches seem uniquely well-suited to use as part of deliberate psychological education efforts. (NB)

Responds to previous articles discussing counseling techniques of systematic desensitization, anxiety management training, stress inoculation training, and rational restructuring. Raises additional considerations with respect to assessment, technique selection, and technique implementation. (NB)

Scrutinizes rational-emotive therapy (RET) on conceptual and empirical grounds, including its reliance on constructive assessment and ethical stance. Notes that, although metanalytic reviews provide support for general utility of RET, more qualitative reviews question internal and external validity of much of published research. Notes that process…

The purpose of this article was for selected Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) cognoscenti to examine the impact of the events of September 11th, 2001, on their beliefs about religion, spirituality and their personal philosophy--including the role of evil in the universe and the implications of these issues on their use of REBT. The degree…