Psychotherapy Process
Explore the dynamics and stages of the psychotherapy process, from the initial client assessment to the therapeutic interventions that promote healing. This section provides insights into the complexities of therapeutic relationships and strategies to enhance treatment effectiveness.
257 articles found
Practicing Appropriate Responsivity
Resistance is a phenomenon that tends to be universally dreaded by therapists. Therapists have described feeling frustrated, confused, guilty, and hurt after disagreement with their clients, and can even end up doubting their competence (Coutinho et al., 2011). Not only this, but it is well-documented that conflict will return if it is not effectively addressed […]
Lauren Poulin, MA + 2 more
April 10, 2022
Anorexia Nervosa and Perfectionism
Anorexia nervosa (AN) is highly comorbid with other clinically significant pathologies and extremely prevalent among the general population. Stigmas associated with AN, such as vanity or self-responsibility attributions, may prevent a someone from receiving help. Instead, they may reach out for symptoms unrelated to disordered eating, such as co-occurring depression. Despite this, folks with AN […]
Zoe Ross-Nash, PsyD + 1 more
January 16, 2022
10 Tips for Offering Trauma-Sensitive Mindfulness in Psychotherapy
A trauma-informed approach to mindfulness adapts mindfulness techniques to better meet the needs of individuals experiencing posttraumatic stress symptoms. A prescribed approach to mindfulness risks further harm by reinforcing traumatic circumstances such as coercion, unpredictability, and dysregulation. In contrast, the proposed flexibility of trauma-sensitive mindfulness empowers individuals to safely engage in the present moment at […]
Kelsey M. Dietrich, M.A.
January 2, 2022
Time to Take a Closer Look
In March of 2020, therapists faced an unprecedented challenge and, in many ways, a glorious opportunity. COVID-19 and lockdowns meant that it was no longer possible or safe to provide psychotherapy in a “business as usual” way. Video psychotherapy, or telemental health, which had been considered by many as the lesser cousin of in-person therapy, […]
Barbara J. Thompson, Ph.D. + 3 more
December 2, 2021
Predicting Trainee Therapists’ Abilities with Letters of Recommendation Part 2
In the last issue of the Bulletin, we began exploring the very timely issue of the use of letters of recommendation (LORs) by clinical and counseling graduate programs as a tool to select students with high potential to be effective therapists. Not only do programs use LORs routinely for this process, but LORs have received […]
Zachary Hoffman, M.S. + 5 more
December 2, 2021
Predictors of Change in Patient Treatment Outcome Expectation
Abstract This article examined patients’ change in outcome expectation across cognitive-behavior therapy for generalized anxiety disorder, as well as participant factors that are associated with both pretreatment outcome expectation and expectation change. Findings: On average, patients’ outcome expectation becomes more positive over time. Moreover, the degree of such change is influenced by several baseline and early treatment patient factors […]
Andreea Visla, PhD + 2 more
November 28, 2021
Investigation of the Psychometric Properties and Treatment Outcomes for a Brief Measure of Trauma Related Symptoms in Adolescents
Abstract The purpose of this article is to explore the psychometric properties of a brief measure of trauma-related symptoms among adolescents in psychotherapy, the ACORN Trauma Measure, as compared to a general outcome questionnaire called the ACORN Global Distress Measure. The ACORN Trauma Measure includes three trauma-specific items intended to give clinical insight into the […]
Daryl Mahon, D.SoC, MA + 2 more
November 23, 2021
Predicting Trainee Therapists’ Abilities with Letters of Recommendation Part 1
According to the American Psychological Association’s 2019 report on Admissions, Applications, and Acceptances, over 40,000 individuals applied to clinical psychology programs in the 2016-2017 academic year, with acceptance rates of 12-30% (Michalski et al., 2019). Due to an increasing interest in clinical and counseling psychology (Norcross & Sayette, 2014) and a limited amount of space […]
Zachary Hoffman, M.S. + 5 more
November 15, 2021
Helping Patients Interpret Ambivalence about Change
Context More and more, I notice therapy clients asking directly for insight. They want to understand why they dilly-dally on their goals, waffle on difficult decisions, envision change but don’t plan for it. “…If I feel I want to do X, and I say I want to do X, why can’t I just do it?” […]
Dana R. Falk, Ph.D.
November 15, 2021
Returning to Providing Psychotherapy In-Person During a Pandemic After Providing Online Services
It has been over a year since psychologists worldwide adapted to provide clinical services during the global pandemic. As we know, clinicians, among many other professionals, rapidly learned the nuances of working with clients online. For those whose jobs demanded to continue meeting in-person, masks became essential, a needed barrier that created some protection and […]
Beatriz Palma, Ph.D.
November 15, 2021
Caregiver Burden of Schizophrenia in Ethnic Minority Groups
In recent years there has been a huge shift from mental hospitals to home care for individuals with long-term mental illness. The shift from hospitals to homes has resulted in transferring responsibilities for the day-to-day care of patients to their family members (caregivers), resulting in family members assuming the role of nurse, counselor, advocate, and […]
Ivanna Juliusburger, MS
October 31, 2021
Longitudinal Effects of Psychotherapy With Transgender and Nonbinary Clients
Abstract Minority stress has been determined to contribute to some mental health concerns for transgender, nonbinary, and gender nonconforming individuals, yet little is known regarding interventions to decrease the effects of minority stress. The purpose of this pilot study was to assess the feasibility and relative effectiveness of two interventions developed for work with transgender clients. Transgender individuals (N […]
Stephanie L. Budge, Ph.D. + 2 more
October 3, 2021