Describes healthy aspects of passivity and explores Gendlin's focusing, emphasizing its usefulness in cultivating receptive passivity. Focusing teaches clients to assume a nonjudgmental attitude toward themselves and allow for deepening self-awareness. (JAC)

Verbal behavior in transcripts of psychotherapy was coded according to Stile's taxonomy of verbal response modes. Therapists of different theoretical persuasions used different mixtures of verbal techniques. Common elements that make verbal interaction psychologically therapeutic lie in client behavior. (Author)

Presents a two-pronged attempt to synthesize the research on stress coping: (1) a review of models and taxonomies of behaviors and resources related to stress coping and (2) a meta-analysis of recent experimental and quasi-experimental studies of stress coping. A taxonomy and a model of stress coping are offered, and implications for treatment are…

Contemporary psychodynamic family clinicians emphasize intervening in the transmission of emotional patterning over generations in families. While differences exist between this model and "systems" approaches, it is argued that integration of the two is possible. Provides Sluzki's response that the two models are independent. (Author/RC)

The Improvisation Test for Individuals consists of 12 roleplays that represent a variety of interpersonal situations. Test teams evaluated the reactions of the subjects to the roleplays and determined interrater reliabilities. Subjects found the roleplays generally realistic and their own performances lifelike. Interrater reliabilities were…

Discusses symptom production and symptom maintenance in terms of psychodynamic and system-oriented family therapy approaches. The conceptual and operational hypotheses of both approaches stem from different logics. Describes their different sets of data, lines of inquiry and treatment strategies. (Author/JAC)

Studied child psychotherapy by analyzing therapists' verbal behaviors with two child clients. According to the research expectations, high levels of interrater reliabilities for the Carkhuff scales and relatively high agreement levels for Hill's system were found. Overall verbal response behavior of each therapist was summarized best through…

Behavior modification has been used in classrooms, industry, and marriage counseling. In behavioral family therapy, the therapist examines how family members learn undesirable behaviors, how they can unlearn these behaviors, and how they can learn more desirable behaviors. This type of therapy is a method of direct treatment in which goals are…

Several counseling methods have attempted to help individuals change their behavior patterns. Techniques that teach control of the internal functions of the mind, body, and emotions are designed to allow the individual to reach his/her potential. Alpha training is one such method that is concerned with a brain wave pattern yielding an alert,…

Estimates indicate that 1 in 4 women and 1 in 7 men have been sexually abused as children. These statistics may be underestimated based on anecdotal information relayed by many therapists who specialize in working with survivors of childhood sexual abuse. Effects of childhood sexual abuse have far reaching implications for the survivors' abilities…