Psychotherapy ResearchPub Date : 2025-01-01Epub Date: 2024-11-07DOI: 10.1080/10503307.2024.2403422
Maayan Abargil, Avital Schenkolewski, Orya Tishby
{"title":"Therapists' emotional responses and their relation to patients' experience of attunement and responsiveness.","authors":"Maayan Abargil, Avital Schenkolewski, Orya Tishby","doi":"10.1080/10503307.2024.2403422","DOIUrl":"10.1080/10503307.2024.2403422","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>Therapists' emotional responses play a significant role in the therapeutic relationship and in the therapy process. The current study examined the associations between therapists' emotional responses <i>before</i> and <i>after</i> therapy sessions, and patients' experience of them as attuned and responsive.</p><p><strong>Method: </strong>Forty patient-therapist dyads participated in 16 weekly sessions of Supportive Expressive Psychotherapy. Therapists' emotions were assessed on the Feeling Word Checklist-58. We examined one positive feeling (Parental) and one negative feeling (Inadequate) Following each session, patients and therapists rated responsiveness on the Patient's Experience of Attunement and Responsiveness.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Feeling Parental before sessions was associated with patients' post-session ratings of therapist empathy, but not with session helpfulness or sensed achievement. Therapists' feelings of inadequacy before sessions were negatively associated with patients' ratings of helpfulness and achievement, but not with empathy. Therapists' Parental feelings <i>after</i> the session were positively associated with patients' ratings and their own ratings on all 3 PEAR subscales. Feeling Inadequate after the session was negatively associated with patients' ratings of helpfulness, achievement and empathy. Therapists' ratings were only negatively associated only with helpfulness.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The study demonstrates that therapists' emotional reactions play a role in their patients' experience of their responsiveness.</p>","PeriodicalId":48159,"journal":{"name":"Psychotherapy Research","volume":" ","pages":"54-66"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142607009","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Psychotherapy ResearchPub Date : 2025-01-01Epub Date: 2024-01-07DOI: 10.1080/10503307.2023.2297996
Øyvind Grindheim, Christian Moltu, Valentina Iversen, Andrew McAleavey, Kristin Tømmervik, Hege Govasmark, Heidi Brattland
{"title":"Points of departure: A qualitative study exploring relational facilitators and barriers in the first treatment session.","authors":"Øyvind Grindheim, Christian Moltu, Valentina Iversen, Andrew McAleavey, Kristin Tømmervik, Hege Govasmark, Heidi Brattland","doi":"10.1080/10503307.2023.2297996","DOIUrl":"10.1080/10503307.2023.2297996","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><b>Objective:</b> To explore how patients and therapists in an outpatient specialized substance use disorder treatment setting experienced the first treatment session, and to identify relational facilitators and barriers seen from both patient and therapist perspectives. <b>Method:</b> The study is based on a qualitative approach and semi-structured interviews of patients (<i>n</i> = 12) and therapists (<i>n</i> = 12). Interviews were conducted soon after the first treatment session and analyzed in accordance with reflexive thematic analysis. <b>Results:</b> We identified subthemes for patients and therapists, respectively. In addition, we found that patients and therapists described certain comparable experiences and actions which we integrated as core themes: (a) feeling uncertain about what to expect; (b) forming first impressions; (c) balancing multiple concurrent concerns; (d) seeking feedback from the other; and (e) sensing a way forward. The subthemes specify patients' and therapists' unique meanings and approaches to each core theme. Finally, we summarized unique and shared relational facilitators and barriers. <b>Conclusion:</b> Patients and therapists use the first session to form an impression of the other, but they are also concerned with the impression they themselves give. They, therefore, monitor the other's in-session reactions and responses which constitute facilitators or barriers for their own further relational actions.</p>","PeriodicalId":48159,"journal":{"name":"Psychotherapy Research","volume":" ","pages":"155-169"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139378568","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Psychotherapy ResearchPub Date : 2025-01-01Epub Date: 2023-12-30DOI: 10.1080/10503307.2023.2297995
Michael J Constantino, Alice E Coyne, Averi N Gaines, Brien J Goodwin, Heather J Muir, Kenneth L Critchfield, Henny A Westra, Martin M Antony
{"title":"Therapist verification of patient self-concepts as a responsive precondition for early alliance development and subsequent introject change.","authors":"Michael J Constantino, Alice E Coyne, Averi N Gaines, Brien J Goodwin, Heather J Muir, Kenneth L Critchfield, Henny A Westra, Martin M Antony","doi":"10.1080/10503307.2023.2297995","DOIUrl":"10.1080/10503307.2023.2297995","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>Social psychological research has indicated that people strive for self-consistent feedback and interactions, even if negative, to preserve the epistemic security of knowing themselves. Without such <i>self-verification</i>, any interpersonal exchange may become frustrated, anxiety-riddled, and at risk for deterioration. Thus, it may be important for therapists to meet patients' self-verification needs as a responsive precondition for early alliance establishment and development. We tested this hypothesis with patients receiving cognitive behavioral therapy for generalized anxiety disorder-a condition that may render one's self-verification needs especially strong. We also tested the hypothesis that better early alliance quality would relate to subsequent adaptive changes in and posttreatment level of patients' self-concepts.</p><p><strong>Method: </strong>Eighty-four patients rated their self-concepts at baseline and across treatment and follow-up, their postsession recollection of their therapist's interpersonal behavior toward them during session 2, and their experience of alliance quality rated after sessions 3-6.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>As predicted, the more therapists verified at session 2 a patient's baseline self-concepts (which trended toward disaffiliative and overcontrolling, on average), the more positively that patient perceived their next-session alliance. Moreover, better session 3 alliance related to more adaptive affiliative and autonomy-granting self-concepts at posttreatment.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Results are discussed within a therapist responsiveness framework.</p>","PeriodicalId":48159,"journal":{"name":"Psychotherapy Research","volume":" ","pages":"17-31"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2025-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139075553","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Jan Vegard Bakali, Ole André Solbakken, Asle Hoffart, Hege Brækhus, Elfrida Kvarstein, Sverre Urnes Johnson
{"title":"Affect integration, metacognitions, and early maladaptive schemas as predictors of outcome in cognitive and metacognitive therapies for social anxiety disorder.","authors":"Jan Vegard Bakali, Ole André Solbakken, Asle Hoffart, Hege Brækhus, Elfrida Kvarstein, Sverre Urnes Johnson","doi":"10.1080/10503307.2024.2443499","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/10503307.2024.2443499","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>Few reliable patient characteristics have emerged as significant predictors of outcomes for Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD). This study aimed to explore whether affect integration, metacognitions, and maladaptive schemas could serve as predictors of therapeutic outcomes for patients with SAD. Relationships between these psychological constructs and baseline SAD symptomatology were also examined.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Eighty-eight patients across three sites participated in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) or Metacognitive Therapy (MCT) for SAD in inpatient or outpatient clinics. Measures of predictors and SAD symptomatology were repeatedly assessed. Statistical analyses included longitudinal, multilevel modeling.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Difficulties with affect integration, metacognitions and early maladaptive schemas clearly related to higher levels of SAD symptoms at baseline but were not generally predictive of changes in SAD symptoms during therapy. However, examining sub-domains revealed that difficulties with the integration of jealousy and tenderness, and the maladaptive schema of defectiveness/shame, predicted poorer outcomes. In contrast, initial difficulties with the integration of sadness, a greater lack of cognitive confidence, and the maladaptive schema of dependence/incompetence were associated with greater symptom improvement.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Identifying issues of affect integration and core self-other beliefs prior to therapy may enhance patient selection and allow for a more individualized treatment.</p>","PeriodicalId":48159,"journal":{"name":"Psychotherapy Research","volume":" ","pages":"1-13"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2024-12-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142899231","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Mingyu Hu, Ruilu Yang, Hua Yang, Chenchen Lin, Di Liu, Ning Zhang
{"title":"Development and validation of a psychotherapy change motivation scale.","authors":"Mingyu Hu, Ruilu Yang, Hua Yang, Chenchen Lin, Di Liu, Ning Zhang","doi":"10.1080/10503307.2024.2433622","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/10503307.2024.2433622","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>Develop a Psychotherapy Change Motivation Scale (PCMS) with robust psychometric properties.</p><p><strong>Method: </strong>A literature review, semi-structured interviews, and expert evaluation were used to draft the scale. The scale was administered to participants receiving psychological counseling or therapy at specialized hospital psychological intervention centers, university mental health education centers, and social psychological counseling agencies using convenience sampling. The initial sample (<i>n</i> = 178) was subjected to item analysis and exploratory factor analysis, and the formal sample (<i>n</i> = 180) was then subjected to confirmatory factor analysis and reliability and validity testing. Criterion validity was tested using the Outcome Questionnaire-45(OQ-45) and the revised Chinese version of the University of Rhode Island Change Assessment (URICA).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The final scale comprised 19 items across four dimensions: Activation, Expected benefits, Agency, and Maintenance and Orientation. The Cronbach's α coefficients ranged from 0.608 to 0.897 for the total scale and subscales; split-half reliability was 0.796; cumulative explained variance was 58.363%, with good structural validity (X<sup>2</sup>/df = 1.69, RMSEA = 0.062, GFI = 0.875, CFI = 0.915, IFI = 0.917, TLI = 0.901). PCMS scores and its four factors were negatively correlated with OQ-45 (r = -0.234 to -0.375, <i>p</i><0.01) and positively correlated with the Chinese URICA (r = 0.386-0.694, <i>p</i><0.01).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The developed PCMS demonstrates good reliability and validity, meeting psychometric standards.</p>","PeriodicalId":48159,"journal":{"name":"Psychotherapy Research","volume":" ","pages":"1-12"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2024-12-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142865755","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Nuria Real-Brioso, Eduardo Estrada, Ani Laura Ruiz-Lee, Bronwyn C Raykos, David M Erceg-Hurn
{"title":"Early response in people with anorexia nervosa receiving cognitive-behavioural therapy for eating disorders (CBT-ED): a latent change study.","authors":"Nuria Real-Brioso, Eduardo Estrada, Ani Laura Ruiz-Lee, Bronwyn C Raykos, David M Erceg-Hurn","doi":"10.1080/10503307.2024.2432674","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/10503307.2024.2432674","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>Early improvement predicts good outcome in psychotherapy for eating disorders. Prior studies have examined change in body mass index (BMI) or Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire scores (EDE-Q) as indicators of early response, but not both simultaneously. Little research has examined early change among Anorexia Nervosa (AN) samples treated with eating disorder-focussed cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT-ED). We studied the process of early change in a fine-grained way to better understand whether early response predicts later response and post-treatment outcomes in CBT-ED for AN, and how the changes in EDE-Q and BMI are related.</p><p><strong>Method: </strong>Adults (<i>N </i>= 193) diagnosed with AN were treated with outpatient CBT-ED. We used bivariate Latent Change Score models to examine change in BMI and EDE-Q and relations between them.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Early change in BMI was independent of early change in EDE-Q. Larger changes in EDE-Q over the first five weeks of therapy followed smaller ones over the next five weeks, meanwhile smaller changes followed larger ones. Early change was predictive of post-treatment scores.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Early change in BMI and EDE-Q during CBT-ED appear to be unrelated and follow different trajectories. Therefore, individuals declared as early responders may differ depending on which variable is used for the decision.</p>","PeriodicalId":48159,"journal":{"name":"Psychotherapy Research","volume":" ","pages":"1-16"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2024-12-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142819803","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Tayler M S Colton, Daniel W Cox, Johanna M Mickelson, David Kealy
{"title":"Reciprocal language style matching: Indicator or facilitator of therapeutic bond.","authors":"Tayler M S Colton, Daniel W Cox, Johanna M Mickelson, David Kealy","doi":"10.1080/10503307.2024.2437644","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/10503307.2024.2437644","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>The tendency to linguistically synchronize is an adaptive and prosocial process observed in verbal and written communication. Research in therapeutic contexts has primarily conceptualized reciprocal language style matching (rLSM; i.e., similarity of function words) as <i>indicating</i> the therapeutic relationship. However, in non-therapeutic contexts, rLSM has been conceptualized as <i>facilitating</i> relationship formation and maintenance. The aim of the present study was to examine if an indication model or facilitation model provided a better explanation for the association between rLSM and the therapeutic bond.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Online text-based crisis-counseling sessions (<i>N</i> = 350) with clients in suicidal crisis were coded for rLSM and therapeutic bond. To examine and compare the indication and facilitation models, we used random intercept cross-lagged panel models.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The association between rLSM and therapeutic bond was better explained by the facilitation model (i.e., rLSM predicting bond) than the indication model (i.e., rLSM co-occurring with bond). However, a model that included (a) rLSM predicting therapeutic bond and (b) the cross-sectional association between therapeutic bond and rLSM was the best fit.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Our findings indicate that rLSM may play a role in establishing the therapeutic relationship and be reflective of the client-counselor relationship. Implications for counseling practice are discussed.</p>","PeriodicalId":48159,"journal":{"name":"Psychotherapy Research","volume":" ","pages":"1-13"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2024-12-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142814590","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Jan Reidar Stiegler, Elisabeth Schanche, Yngvild Sørebø Danielsen, Aslak Hjeltnes
{"title":"Growth in challenging situations: A qualitative investigation of therapists' experience of delivering emotion-focused therapy.","authors":"Jan Reidar Stiegler, Elisabeth Schanche, Yngvild Sørebø Danielsen, Aslak Hjeltnes","doi":"10.1080/10503307.2024.2432680","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/10503307.2024.2432680","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p><b>Objective:</b> Psychotherapy does not work equally well for all clients. For research to support clinicians in helping more clients, we need to better understand the process of when therapy become particularly challenging. In this study, we investigated challenging change processes from the therapists' perspective when applying Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT). <b>Method:</b> We interviewed 14 therapists trained in EFT about their experiences of difficulties with applying EFT to clients with varying severity of mental health difficulties. Interviews were analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. <b>Results:</b> Five themes were constructed. Three describing what EFT therapist find challenging; (1) Challenges in the therapeutic relationship, (2) When feelings are too big, too small or difficult to experience, (3) Matching EFT with the client's challenges, and two describing therapist responses to the challenges: (4) Do I know EFT, and what would I have needed to know more? (5) What do I do when it becomes difficult? A total of 20 subthemes were identified. <b>Conclusion:</b> Reported experiences of applying EFT to a diverse population suggests a need for either model refinement or strengthening of the dissemination process to better enable EFT-therapists to help clients with more severe mental health difficulties.</p>","PeriodicalId":48159,"journal":{"name":"Psychotherapy Research","volume":" ","pages":"1-13"},"PeriodicalIF":2.6,"publicationDate":"2024-12-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142773908","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"心理学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}