The purpose of this study was first to determine whether or not paradoxical communication could be designed to contain therapeutic levels of the core therapeutic conditions, and, second, to determine how paradoxical counselor communication compared to nondirective communication on the social influence dimensions of attractiveness, expertness, and trustworthiness. For the first phase, four judges rated audiotapes on the level of the core therapeutic conditions on one of four counseling conditions (paradox high or low on core conditions, and nondirective high or low on core conditions). For the second phase, 133 undergraduate college students were asked to listen to the four counseling conditions on audiotapes and to rate the counselor on the social influence dimensions

Conceptualization psychotherapy as an interpersonal influence process emphasizes how a therapist is perceived by a client. Factors affecting a client's early impressions of a therapist could influence therapeutic interactions since first impressions are relatively stable. The study investigated effects of nonverbal behavior and gender during a simulated initial meeting between a therapist and client. Undergraduates (N = 466) viewed a male or female therapist interviewing with a new female client. Therapist gaze .(100%, 80%, 40%) and smiling (high, low) were manipulated. After subjects viewed one of 12 videotapes, they completed questionnaires rating therapist expertness, trustworthiness, attractiveness, masculinity and femininity. A comparison of the therapist with subjects' expectations of a therapist in general was obtained by pre- and post-testing utilizing a measure of client expectations. MANOVAs were performed on all ratings except expectation scores, where an ANCOVA was utilized. Main effects for therapist gender indicated the female therapist was rated as significantly more expert, attractive, trustworthy and feminine than the male (ps < .81). For ratings of masculinity, subject gender interacted with therapist gender (p < .001). Wain effects showed that high smiling was rated as more attractive and more feminine (ps < .01). Smiling and level of gaze interacted on ratings of trustworthiness, expertness and masculinity (ps < .04). The 100 per cent and 80 per cent gaze levels increased expertness, trustworthiness and masculinity ratings. Smiling affected expertness at the 80 per cent level, and trustworthiness and masculinity at the 40 per cent level. Analysis of the expectation scores resulted in a three-way interaction between subject gender, smiling and gaze (p < .02). The results suggested that female subjects expected more responsive therapist behavior. The results suggested that the ratings of the male and female therapist reflected both the use of sex stereotypes and the influence of the therapist role. Based on the nonverbal behavior manipulation, several recommendations for therapist behavior were suggested.

This study was designed to investigate what course of action therapists and physicians report they would take in reconciling their conflicting duties to maintain confidentiality and protect third parties from harm in HIV-related situations. The physicians surveyed were licensed to practice medicine in Texas and board certified in Internal Medicine. The therapists surveyed were licensed professional counselors in Texas and members of one of three selected divisions within the Texas Counseling Association. A survey instrument developed by the researcher was mailed to 200 subjects randomly selected from each group.

Substance use disorders represent a consistent threat to our health care and financial resources. Although mental health professionals are likely to encounter individuals diagnosed with substance use disorders, they are less likely to receive formal graduate training in the area. Furthermore, 12-step groups like Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous are popular, evidence-based recovery options, yet little is known about perceptions of such groups among clinical trainees. In addition, quantitative evaluations of substance use training modules have seldom been conducted, including a notable lack of methodologically rigorous approaches. To fill these gaps in the literature, the current study examined the efficacy of a brief computer-mediated training intervention, or e-training, designed to increase future clinicians' knowledge and intentions to engage in 12-step-related professional activities (e.g., making an appropriate referral to a 12-step group). Secondary outcomes were beliefs and attitudes about 12-step groups. Fifty participants were randomly assigned to receive the e-training, a brief audio/visual presentation reviewing 12-step recovery philosophy but focusing on academic 12-step literature. Fifty-three participants were randomly assigned to read comparison materials, which were comprised of online readings geared toward professionals, made available by Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous. Outcomes were assessed at pretest, posttest (i.e., immediately following exposure to intervention or comparison materials), and 4-week follow-up periods. Results of random effects regression analyses showed that the e-training led to significantly greater increases in 12-step recovery knowledge than comparison readings, and that these gains were maintained through follow-up. An intervention effect on intentions to perform 12-step-related professional activities also emerged by follow-up. Exploratory moderation analyses revealed that the intentions effect was more pronounced for women and for trainees who had never attended a 12-step meeting. Secondarily, the e-training led to significantly greater increases in 12-step-positive beliefs and attitudes, though the beliefs effect attenuated by follow-up. Taken together, these data suggest that future clinicians may benefit from a brief e-training about 12-step recovery. More broadly, the study supports the notion that e-trainings are easily disseminated and may help address current limitations in graduate-level substance use clinical training.

Research has shown that curiosity, professional self-doubt, deliberate practice, supervision and constructive coping skills provide good conditions for further development as an effective psychotherapist. Furthermore, research has shown that there seems to be a connection between the psychotherapist's well-being and treatment outcome. Several studies have shown that good self-care strategies reduce stress and prevent burnout, and highlight the importance of finding a balance between professional and personal life. The purpose of this study was to investigate how licensed psychotherapists view the need to maintain and further develop their psychotherapeutic competence, and how they relate to the balance between professional work and personal self-care. Six licensed psychotherapists were interviewed using semi-structured interviews, which were analyzed with systematic text condensation. The results showed that all of the participants remained interested in developing as a psychotherapist mainly through further education, but there were large individual differences in the perceived need for supervision and to systematically evaluate their own work. All participants highlighted self-care as important and had their own specific strategies. The participants also described how the organisation of their work affected their possibilities for both further development and their need for self-care. One conclusion of the study is that structures of supervision and evaluation of psychotherapies, both in public and private healthcare, are important areas of development, as well as providing conditions for psychotherapists self-care.

Children between the ages of 6 and 15 years were interviewed using a questionnaire designed to assess their conception of confidentiality in the counseling experience. This questionnaire was based upon the stipulates for confidentiality outlined in the 1977 American Psychological Association's Code of Ethics. Children age 6 to 8 years scored significantly lower on the questionnaire than children age 12 to 15 years. Neither of these groups' scores were significantly different from the score of children age 9 to 11 years, yet the total mean scores increased as the age of the children in the groups increased. These results suggest that children gradually evolve a conception of confidentiality consistent with professional guidelines. Four variables were examined which were expected to grossly predict the child's total score on the questionnaire. Chi-square analysis did not reveal significant differences for the variables of perceived adequacy of explanation of confidentiality and attitude toward breaking a secret. For the two variables involving the children's perception of the maintenance/violation of their confidentiality, chi-square analysis did reveal significant differences (which were not, however, found using a one-way analysis of variance procedure). Some demographic variables were found to be significantly related to scores on the questionnaire, yet most of the relationships involved specific area scores rather than total scores.

This research project was a descriptive study conducted at a clinical psychology practicum center which investigated the relationship between supervisory ratings of student therapist competency and respective client outcome. Cases were assigned to one of four outcome categories on the basis of six outcome criteria. These included: client and therapist assessment of change in presenting complaints and adaptive functioning, client satisfaction with treatment, type of termination, and session attendance. Clinical faculty supervisors completed subjective competency ratings of student-therapists and also rated the difficulty of client cases. A semi-partial correlation was calculated between competency and outcome scores with the effects of case difficulty partialled out of the outcome scores. It was hypothesized that a significant positive semi-partial correlation would emerge. Forty-eight client cases that were month period were included in the study. seen during a six Also, 14 student therapists belonging to four practicum teams participated. The major finding of this investigation was that overall, therapist competency ratings were not significantly related to the outcomes of clients, (r=-. 12, p>.05). However, when assessing the relationship between therapist competency and outcome for each of practicum teams individually, a significant negative semi-partial correlation was found for one of them, (r=-1.03, p<.01). Problems with subjective assessments of competency were discussed and recommendations for improving evaluations were given. Results of a fine grained analysis of outcome data and related variables were presented and discussed as they apply to clinical training and service issues. / Master of Science

The history of privileged communication and the evolvement of the psychotherapist-patient privilege are explored. The psychotherapist-patient relationship is a relatively modern relationship. New laws concerning child abuse and neglect, and the reporting requirements of child sex offenders have begun to shape the application of privileged communication within the psychotherapist-patient. These laws exist at the federal level and throughout each of the fifty states. The effects of abrogating privileged communication for child sex offenders in the psychotherapist relationship are explored. Withdrawal of the privilege creates distrust and hinders open communication within this relationship and prevents sex offenders from receiving needed treatment. The effectiveness of treatment to sex offenders, and particularly child sex offenders, by a psychotherapist is explored. The research shows that those treated by a psychotherapist have a lower recidivism rate than those who do not receive treatment. Recommendations include a change in current federal and Florida state laws that will allow sex offenders to receive proper treatment by a psychotherapist while still protecting children from harm

Given the importance of client characteristics and preferences, and therapist expertise to evidence-based practice in psychology, the current study sought to contribute to the literature concerning the role of values in psychotherapy. Personal values of clients and trainee therapists in 29 dyads were examined for relationships between client and therapist values and associations with working alliance and outcomes. Although previous literature in this area has suggested that successful therapy is characterized by an increase in similarity of client and therapist values, the current study did not replicate this finding. However, client perceptions of therapist values were found to be important to working alliance and outcome. Findings are discussed in terms of suggestions for future research as well as implications for clinical practice, including the importance of discussing expectations and preferences with clients.

Inledning: Psykoterapeutisk ram är ett fenomen som är grundläggande att upprätta under terapeututbildning. Vad psykoterapeutstudenter faktiskt uppfattar och kan beskriva utgör en kvalitetssäkring av vad studenter uppfattar behövs i form av ram i förhållande till patienter men också i förhållande till utbildningssituationen. Att jämföra med rådande teori och empiri. Syftet med studien var att låta psykoterapeutstudenter beskriva sin uppfattning om vad som konstituerar fenomenet ram i psykodynamisk terapi. Frågeställningar: Vad uppfattar och beskriver psykoterapeutstudenter som psykodynamisk terapeutisk ram? Metod: Föreliggande studie har en hermeneutisk ansats och bearbetningsmetod är kvalitativ innehållsanalys. Datainsamlingsmetod är intervjuer. Resultat: Resultatet av frågeställningen visar sig som tre kategorier med underkategorier. Kategori ett är kär-lek, med underkategorier som ansvar och mellanmänsklighet. Kategori två är medvetenhet, med underkategorier som fysiska budskap, kontinuitet och omdöme. Kategori tre är potential, med underkategorier som symbolisera och integrera. Diskussion: Vad psykoterapeutstudenter beskriver som konstanter i psykodynamisk terapeutisk ram harmonierar framförallt med det som i litteratur och forskning beskrivs som inre- och yttre -ram. Resultatet har få konstanter i form av meta ram vilket kan förstås som att det finns en omedvetenhet i att upprätta meta ram. I förlängningen begränsar denna omedvetenhet studenters påverkan på utbildning och profession. / Introduction: Psychotherapeutic frame is a phenomenon which is fundamental to establish during therapist education. What psychotherapists students actually understand and can describe constitute a quality assurance of what students perceive is needed in form of frame, in relation to the patients but also in relation to the educational situation. To be compared with the prevailing theory and empiricism. The aim of the study was to let psychotherapist students describe their idea of what constitutes the phenomenon frame of psychodynamic therapy. Issues: What perceive and describe psychotherapist students as psychodynamic therapeutic frame? Method: This study has a hermeneutical approach and processing method is qualitative content analysis. The data collection method is interviews. Results: The result of the issue manifests as three categories with subcategories. Category one is love-play, with subcategories as responsibility and interpersonal. Category two is awareness, with subcategories as physical messages, continuity and opinion. Category three is potential, with subcategories as symbolize and integrate. Discussion: What psychotherapist students describe as constants in psychodynamic therapeutic frame, harmony above all with what the literature and research describes as inner and outer frame. The result has few constants in the form of meta- framework, which may be understood as that there is a lack of awareness in establishing meta- frame. In the extension this unawareness limits students influence on education and profession.