The demands by applicants for prompt emergency services and by funding sources for greater accountability along with long waiting lists resulted in the formation of a crisis unit offering brief psychotherapy in a problem-solving framework. The services focused on: (1) the presenting problem as it reflected a core conflict or longstanding life…

While formal definitions of "psychotherapy' have been notoriously elusive, there appears to be general agreement that it involves a professional relationship between a person seeking help for an emotional or behavior problem and a professional who is recognized by society as possessing a certain expertise. An important concomitant of this…

The purpose of this paper is to present the reader with an indepth study of the special plight of children currently confined in our nation's residential treatment centers. Several of the fundamental legal issues involved in the coercive commitment of minors to such institutions will be discussed, especially those concerning due process and…

Perspective transformation is a consciously achieved state in which the individual's perspective on life is transformed. The new perspective serves as a vantage point for life's actions and interactions, affecting the way life is lived. Three conditions are basic to achieving perspective transformation: (1) "feeling" experience, i.e.,…

To provide some directions for the design and implementation of innovative health programs, both on an individual and community level, this paper, using both empirical and anecdotal sources, explores some of the possible psychological mechanisms Indian people have used to endure overt and covert Federal policies and social attitudes of termination…

This paper hypothesizes about the occurrence of double-binds in incestuous families and proposes a method of treatment which attempts to help adult women who were sexually abused as children cope with the double-bind and achieve separation-individuation. The double-bind is defined as a no-win situation in which the abuse victim received…

There are four general approaches to treatment for the symptomatic child. In individual child psychotherapy, the child is seen alone and play therapy is often utilized to help the child become aware of his feelings and express them more appropriately. In conjoint parent-child psychotherapy and counseling, the child is seen together with one…

The theory of transactional analysis (TA) originated by Eric Berne in the 1950's is typified by structural analysis and is comprised of the ego states of Parent, Adult, and Child. Linkages are the life scripts of the individual. One ego state is usually in control at any given time. Pathology results when ego boundaries become rigid or break down…

This training manual explains the process of rating client openness from a short sample of dyadic help-intended interactions. The overview of client openness includes a discussion of the 10-week undergraduate program which teaches students to assess client openness based on behavioral ratings from the Group Assessment of Interpersonal Traits…

Numerous studies report that depression is the most common psychiatric disorder of the elderly. According to the behavioral view, depression results from inadequate, ineffective or insufficient positive reinforcement. In contrast, the cognitive position sees depression as a result of negative thinking about oneself, one's experience, and the…

The behavioral view that depression results from inadequate, ineffective and/or insufficient reinforcers was explored. Since the depressed person does not act in a manner open to positive reinforcement by others, he suffers ongoing and deepening depression. The task of the therapist is to improve behavior, especially social skills, so that the…

BEHAVIOR THEORY CAN FORTIFY SOCIAL CASEWORK BY PROVIDING PRACTICAL LINKS BETWEEN THE IDENTIFICATION OF THE CLIENT IN DISTRESS, THE DELINEATION OF CLINICAL GOALS, THE FORMULATION OF PLANS OF INTERVENTION, AND THE MEASUREMENT OF OUTCOME. THESE BASIC ASSUMPTIONS IN THE BEHAVIORAL APPROACH ARE IMPLICIT IN THE STRUCTURE TREATMENT--(1) ALL SOCIAL…

Two models of family treatment are presented in which the child's nonverbal communication is as important as the adult's verbal communication, and the child is accorded equal respect with adult family members by the therapist. In the integrated conjoint family therapy model, children are present at family sessions, and the therapist responds to…

Current evidence in the literature is reviewed on the relationship between sex roles and psychological well-being in terms of personality and social behavior dimensions. Limitations of the present data base are identified, such as the correlational nature of evidence, age and gender specificity of findings, failure to consider the personal…

The introduction of poetry into psychotherapy in the Western (European American) tradition and a growing interest in connections between the fine arts and the healing arts have prompted investigations of the parallel uses of poetry in other cultures. Examples of how three native American groups (Oglala Sioux, Piman, and Navaho) have used poetry in…