Abstract As the conceptualization of evidence-based practice expands beyond the phasic application of treatment manuals for specific mental health diagnoses, greater attention is being paid to treatment personalization, including at its very first steps. One approach to such early personalization involves therapist flexible responsivity to patients’ presenting nondiagnostic characteristics, such as their treatment-related beliefs, that […]
Background Thousands of clinical trials and naturalistic studies have now been conducted on the effects of psychotherapy. Reviews of this research have shown that about 75% of those who enter treatment in clinical trials show some benefit (Lambert, 2013). This finding generalizes across a wide range of disorders except for severe biologically based disturbances (e.g., […]
Suzy Suzy is a 42-year-old woman who has been suffering from depressive symptoms for at least six months. Most of the time she is feeling grumpy, irritable, and down. Normally, Suzy was never this quickly startled or negative, and people close to her almost do not recognize her anymore. Suzy has become isolated. After a […]
For the early-career clinician, getting started in the world of therapy in either private practice or an outpatient clinic can be both overwhelming and exciting. After graduation, many of us are in this state of transition out of student mode and into professional mode. Developing confidence as a young professional, while also building a caseload, […]
The interpersonal difficulties experienced by patients diagnosed with a personality disorder (PD) tend to pose great difficulty in negotiating a strong therapeutic alliance between patient and therapist (Muran, Segal, Samstag, & Crawford, 1994; Stern, 1938; Vaillant, 1992; Waldinger & Gunderson, 1984). Patients with PDs often generate intense and uncomfortable reactions in their therapists, sometimes producing […]
Professional practice is about making a difference with our clients—we want to help our clients reach their goals, and, we want our contribution to count. This is true in many professional settings, whether we offer treatment, counseling, training, education, or conduct applied research. But, how can we tell whether we actually have made a difference […]
When I reflect upon my journey to becoming a clinical psychologist there are three aspects that have significantly shaped my development as a therapist. The first is that, during my training, I have been exposed to a wide range of clinical settings, therapeutic approaches, and clinical populations. I have practiced at the university counseling center, […]
Pregnancy loss is an umbrella term for the death of a conceptus, fetus, or neonate before the 21st day of life and affects a substantial amount of women and their partners. It has been estimated that 20-50% of all pregnancies end in miscarriage, or the loss of a pregnancy before 20 weeks gestation. Moreover, about […]
Psychotherapy termination is that moment in which therapists and clients say goodbye (or “call me if you need me”). As part of the first author’s doctoral dissertation, we conducted a research study in which we asked former clients about their treatment. Surprisingly, when clients were asked about their treatment, many started the recount by addressing […]
Abstract Twenty-six clients who received 10 weeks of either attachment-based family therapy or individual emotion-focused therapy for unresolved anger toward a parent were interviewed six months after completing treatment. Interviews were analyzed using the consensual qualitative research approach. Clients in both conditions reported improved relationships with parents, gaining a new perspective of their parent, increased […]