Examined aspects of a nursing home staff's work in the application of reality orientation (RO) to confused patients. Argues that, in the application of RO and similar behavioral therapies, a clear analytic separation between patients' problems and the work of caregivers cannot be justified. Caregivers may help constitute problems. (Author/JAC)

Reviews the physiological effect of acute grief and explores the increased susceptibility to infectious disease agents in terms of the altered biochemistry of the bereaved individual. Until basic reactions of grief are defined and the altered biochemistry established, psychological methods appear to offer the best therapy. (Author/JAC)

Uses a case study to show how a therapist can help a family by breaking their loops of preferential behaviors. Describes a systemic approach that helps prevent families from using the same feedback loops that lead to dead-ends in their behavior. (JAC)

Presents data from an ongoing assessment of the functioning of parents and their children during psychological outpatient services. Parallel improvement and strong positive correlations were found between the two groups. (Author/DB)

College students rated an academic advisor, a vocational counselor, or a psychotherapist on 10 characteristics and subsequently rated each of the three types of counseling situations on how "personal" they perceived each to be. Subjects viewed psychotherapy as a more personal situation than academic advising or vocational counseling. (Author/RD)

Reports a program in which in-service training in rational-behavioral group counseling was delivered to "front-line" Bureau of Prisons staff by institution psychologists and consultants from the local community. Training focused on conducting time-limited, structured groups. (Author)

Compared the effects of cognitive-behavioral treatment, behavioral treatment or an attention-control condition on 27 non-self-controlled children. The cognitive-behavioral intervention improved teachers' ratings of self-control and children's self-reported self-concept. Off-task verbal and physical behaviors suggested treatment efficacy.…

The Erica Method, a form of play-diagnosis and play-therapy used widely in Sweden, utilizes a standardized material that consists of sandboxes and miniature toys. The method is a very useful tool for better understanding of both developmental, neurological and psychopathological problems of childhood. (Author)

Argues the literature on gender bias in therapy is a study in discrepancy. Suggests conflicting conclusions result from differing perspectives, and that researchers should continue to examine their assumptions and techniques. (Author)

Studied the effects of sex, experience, and professional affiliation on status of cotherapists leading psychotherapy groups. Results showed gender was the dominant status-conferring characteristic. The relative influence of experience and professional affiliation depended on the interactional component under investigation. (JAC)

Results of this study indicated that therapists judged angry clients less favorably than sad clients. Experienced therapists showed greater tolerance of anger. Therapists intervened less with angry clients than with depressed clients; and angry clients received less supportiveness, less directiveness, and fewer requests for information.…

Students requesting personal counseling at a counseling center and a university mental health service were administered the SCL-90, a self-report symptom rating scale. Results indicate no significant difference between users of the counseling center and of the mental health service when compared on distress associated with presenting symptoms.…

Selected cases from a student health psychiatric service demonstrate the importance of family involvement in the therapeutic treatment program of each individual student irrespective of age or sex. Separation from family, adjustment to the college environment, and problems within the family all relate to the student's emotional well-being. (JN)

Details the structure and content of an introductory family therapy course offered in an academic department. The parallel processes between teaching and therapy are used as a metaphor for the presentation of the course. Joining, restructuring, and consolidation are defined as the three stages of the course. (Author)

Describes Cattell's model as inclusive of the work of family therapists of all orientations. The model defines groups as having interrelated aspects, and all variables related to group phenomena as fitting into three panels: population traits, characteristics of internal structure, and syntality traits. Suggests model gives uniformity to field.…