Comments on Negative effects from psychological treatments: A perspective by David Barlow. The author addresses negative treatment effects in the psychotherapy field by stating that Barlow provided a historical perspective of clinical psychology's long-standing interest in studying the positive effects of psychotherapy, and he indicated that…

The first recommendation Kazdin made for advancing the psychotherapy research knowledge base, improving patient care, and reducing the gulf between research and practice was to study the mechanisms of therapeutic change. He noted, "The study of mechanisms of change has received the least attention even though understanding mechanisms may well be…

Objective: Studies examining psychological trauma or posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in ethnoracial or sexual minority groups are relatively few. The "Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology" recently published 4 articles (Balsam, Lehavot, Beadnall, & Circo, 2010; Harrington, Crowther, & Shipherd, 2010; Lester, Resick, Young-Xu, & Artz,…

The authors respond to the article by H. F. Coelho, P. H. Canter, and E. Ernst (2007), which reviewed the current status of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT). First, they clarify the randomization procedures in the 2 main MBCT trials. Second, they report posttreatment and follow-up data to show that trial participants allocated to…

Argues that in the past few decades, it has become increasingly evident that psychotherapy, generally speaking, is ineffective. The present paper suggests three major respects in which much (perhaps most) psychotherapy and counseling is being "misdirected or misapplied." As corollaries, alternative types of remedial endeavor are suggested. (Author)

This paper presents comments on "Psychological treatments" by D. H. Barlow. Barlow proposed that we distinguish between the terms "treatment" and "psychotherapy." The author believes that not only is the distinction unnecessary, but that its implications could have negative consequences for the field of clinical psychology. It is the proposed…

The aims in this article are to connect the conceptual structure of clinical psychological science to what the author believes to be the omnipresent principles of evolution, use the evolutionary model to create a deductively derived clinical theory and taxonomy, link the theory and taxonomy to comprehensive and integrated approaches to assessment,…

That psychoanalytic theory has not been displaced by the behavioral theory of neurosis is remarkable in view of the persuasive evidence that exists for the efficacy of behavior therapy. One reason for this seems to be the persistence of widespread misperceptions of behavior therapy. (Author)

Tara L. Kuther, the author of this article, is an associate professor of psychology at Western Connecticut State University, where she teaches courses in child, adolescent, and adult development. She is chair of the Society for the Teaching of Psychology's Instructional Resource Awards Task Force and the author of "The Psychology Major's…

While established approaches to therapy help the individual adapt to an essentially fixed world, Social Therapy (a 15-year-old clinical, educational, and developmental psychology practiced in clinics and private practices in New York, Boston, and other cities, with applications to crisis, the epidemic of abuse, and educational failure) seeks to…

Examines the roles of metaphysics in science and psychotherapy. Examines the views of Karl Popper and Imre Lakatos. Concludes that psychotherapy involves metaphysics in the following ways: (1) problem choice; (2) research and therapy design; (3) observation statements; (4) resolving the Duhemian problem; and (5) including anomalous results in…

Briefly describes the model for counseling psychology developed during the Greyston Conference of 1964 and compares it with the current view from the Atlanta Conference. Suggests that the shift of counseling psychology from schools, colleges, and career development toward a medical model of clinical treatment may eliminate an independent…

One clinical psychologist who worked with terminally ill, end-stage Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) patients in a hospice type setting experienced more than 150 deaths over an 18-month time period. Many of the patients denied that they had AIDS; some distinguished between having AIDS and testing positive for Human Immunodeficiency Virus…

In studies of the usefulness of psychotherapy with children and adolescents, clinical therapy has markedly poorer outcomes than laboratory studies. Proposals to bridge the gap include enriching the data base on treatment effects by clinical practitioners, identifying the features of research therapy that account for positive outcomes, and…

In many respects clinical psychology has been more sensitive than most to issues related to gender, but many glaring problems remain to be addressed. In the clinical realm of psychology it is especially important to frame more inclusive conceptualizations of adjustment. Ursinus College developed a college-wide program aimed at greater integration…