Eugene T. Gendlin, PhD, the American philosopher and psychologist who developed the mind-body connection practice called “Focusing,” died on May 1, 2017, at the age of 90 in Spring Valley, New York. His death was announced by the International Focusing Institute (www.focusing.org), which was founded in 1985 by Dr. Gendlin to promote the practice of […]
Continuing Progress at the State Level On April 3, 2017, Idaho became the fifth state in the nation to allow prescriptive authority to psychologists. After three years of work by the Idaho Psychological Association, the legislation passed both houses without opposition and with only two nay votes. How did this happen? Here are a few […]
In the competition between therapy modalities in the United States today, group psychotherapy is clearly on the ropes. As I write these words, the Commission for the Recognition of Specialties and Proficiencies in Professional Psychology (CRSPPP) of the American Psychological Association is considering another petition offered by APA Division 49 (Group Psychotherapy) to have group […]
Clients request, question, or reject information related to their diagnoses at various times, and in a myriad of ways (e.g., “My partner says I have Borderline Personality Disorder, do I?”, “My mood is all over the place! Do you think I’m bipolar?”, “Maybe it’s ADHD?”). At intake, clients seek clarification of the nature of their […]
Welcome to the last printed issue of Psychotherapy Bulletin! We are delighted to offer you a selection of articles focused on practice, research, education, and training, including three contributions in keeping with our continuing “difficult dialogues” theme. In this issue, authors explore the challenges and rewards of revealing diagnoses or sharing research with clients, practicing […]
I am a therapist-in-training and I am a feminist psychotherapist. Just as it is important to identify my trainee status when I meet a client for the first time, I find it is equally important to identify myself as a feminist psychotherapist. Feminism has been defined and redefined a number of times over the years […]
Developed by the psychologist/priest Ignacio Martín–Baró, liberation psychology examines contexts of oppression to foster critical consciousness, emancipation, and transformative action. In this article I use a liberation tool—testimonio—first person narration that expresses psychosocial experiences as a protagonist/witness (Aron, 1992). For over 35 years I have incorporated liberation psychology into my psychotherapy practice. Although classically trained, I have long […]
As a psychologist, I encourage my clients to step outside of their perceived limits or comfort zones for the betterment of their mental and emotional health. In graduate school, my professors stressed the importance of collaborating with clients in cultivating their ability to imagine themselves living holistic and healthier lives—useful for encouraging both optimism in […]
On April 25, 2017, Senate Bill 928 (2017)—Therapeutic Fraud Prevention Act of 2017 was introduced to Congress. The act would “prohibit, as an unfair or deceptive act or practice, commercial sexual orientation conversion therapy, and for other purposes.” Conversion therapy, also known as reparative therapy, is a term for approaches aimed at changing lesbian, gay, […]
Supervision and Ethics: The Conference of Professionalization of Psychological Counseling and Therapy was held by Clinical and Counseling Psychology Registration System, CPS, and Hubei Oriental Insight Mental Health Institution, and co-organized by The Society of the Advancement of Psychotherapy (Division 29, APA) from April 21 to 23, 2017, in Wuhan. In addition to being the […]