Examined process of brief psychodynamic therapy, drawing data from transcripts of complete therapies of two anxious and depressed women. Plan compatibility of therapist interventions correlated significantly with patient progress in early and middle phases; quality of therapist interventions correlated significantly with patient progress in middle…

This paper reviews literature-based techniques of intervention with posttraumatic stress disorder in children, including such techniques as crisis intervention, in vitro flooding, communication training, physical mastery, perspective taking, elimination of self-blame, and self-calming. (JDD)

Examined memorability, impact, and possible epistemic and motivational functions of therapists' intentional use of therapeutic metaphor in four dyads of experiential psychotherapy. Clients recalled metaphors approximately two-thirds of time, especially when metaphors were developed collaboratively and repetitively. Clients rated therapy sessions…

Finds that senior staff at St. Elizabeth's Hospital, Washington, DC, were consistently positive in their evaluation of bibliotherapy as a modality. Discusses the kinds of patients that benefit the most and the least from bibliotherapy. (RS)

Conducted qualitative analysis of important change event in family therapy: sustaining engagement (SE). Examined videotapes of 33 sessions to develop and refine operational definitions of "disengagement" and "sustained engagement." Conducted qualitative comparison of interpersonal dynamics in four successful versus four…

Used psychotherapy dosage model in which effect was probability of recovery to compare treatment response rates for psychological symptoms. Administered symptom checklists to 854 psychotherapy outpatients at intake and during treatment. Chronic distress symptoms demonstrated fastest average response rate, whereas characterological symptoms…

Reviews outcome evidence of psychotherapy for children and adolescents. Illustrates progress in treatment research, highlighting alternative treatments and factors that contribute to outcome in treatment of conduct problem children. Sees pace of progress thwarted by challenges of subject matter and deficiencies in current research. Nonetheless,…

Examined whether 6 categories of counselor humor and 4 categories of risk interventions preceded client laughter in 236 events from 8 cases of brief psychotherapy. Found most client laughter was mild and moderate, with only eight instances of strong laughter. Humorous interventions led to more client laughter than did interventions that encouraged…

Process was related to intermediate and posttreatment outcomes for 34 patients undergoing multimodal group therapy. Exploratory time series analysis suggested that process variable effects differed with phase of therapy. Emotionally warm bond appeared to occur between patient and therapist in sessions prior to therapist-rated improvement. Patient…

Reviews reports regarding efficacy of cognitive therapy in various disorders. Concludes that cognitive therapy has fulfilled criteria of system of psychotherapy by providing coherent, testable theory of personality, psychopathology, and therapeutic change; teachable, testable set of therapeutic principles, strategies, and techniques; and body of…

Presents retrospective analysis of cognitive behavior modification which reveals that three major metaphors have been offered to explain the role that cognitions play in behavior change; these metaphors include cognition as form of conditioning, information processing, and, currently, narrative construction. Discusses implications of using each of…

Delineates and explains essential characteristics of single-case research methodology applied within domain of psychotherapy research. Presents single-case research as subclass of intrasubject research in which aggregation across subjects is avoided and generality of one's findings is addressed through replication on case-by-case basis.…

Presents case study research strategy that can be used to develop new psychotherapeutic treatments, test theorized mechanisms of action, and obtain initial outcome data of type needed to support treatment outcome grant applications. Illustrates strategy by two case studies of new psychotherapeutic intervention for patients with coexisting…

Conducted meta-analysis of 163 randomized trials to examine differences in outcome associated with different theoretical orientations, differences between marital and family therapies versus individual therapies, clinical significance of therapy outcome, differences between marital versus family therapies in both outcomes and problems treated, and…

Describes how a patient with Borderline Personality Disorder underwent significant regression in response to poetic material during a therapy session. Offers a prototypical questionnaire (Poetic Response Assessment Scale) to assess a patient's response to a particular literary work. (SR)