This article weaves the stories of three practitioner-family relationships and describes how the Parent-Child Relationship Competencies (PCRCs; St. John, 2010) function as a map for assessment and treatment planning. The PCRCs are a set of culturally variable yet universal bi-directional (parent-to-child and child-to-parent) relational capacities…

Guided imagery is a flexible intervention whose efficacy has been indicated through a large body of research over many decades in counseling and allied fields. It has earned the right to be considered a research-based approach to helping. This article provides a brief introduction to the history of guided imagery and examples of selected research…

The purpose of this paper is to review and critique the literature on Luborsky's contributions to process and outcome research on dynamic psychotherapy. Luborsky focused on the following key curative factors: (1) helping alliance; (2) transference; (3) transference interpretations; (4) psychiatric severity; and (5) self-understanding. His major…

Investigates the differences between 97 patients who had prematurely terminated psychotherapy and 81 who had participated in individual psychotherapy for at least 6 months and 24 sessions on selected Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2) and Rorschach variables. Theoretical implications of interpersonal variables are discussed in…

Suggests that the issue of group psychotherapy being harmful to some inpatients, although significant, is meaningless in the absence of further specification of what is being done with whom. Emphasizes the need to address therapeutic "casualties." Questions the clinical folklore regarding patients who must be protected from group psychotherapy,…

Considers three empirically supported strategies that will strengthen counseling productivity: client assessment, matching of client and counselor, and relationship enhancement. Reviews of the literature on outcomes in counseling agree that counseling works. Research can also be used to identify strategies for increasing the probability of…

Summarizes how outcome research methodologies can be incorporated into counseling practice in many settings. Discusses the steps involved in performing an outcome or evaluative study, which is followed by specific information concerning instruments and techniques for use in the areas of mental health counseling, career counseling, and school…

Examines various aspects of psychodrama outcome research and summarizes in tabular form 23 outcome studies published between 1952 and 1985, interpreting them as a whole. Concludes that psychodrama constitutes a valid alternative to other therapeutic approaches, especially in promoting behavior change in adjustment, antisocial, and related…

The A.A. 12 steps have long been associated with effective helping, both in terms of recovery from chemical addiction and increasing mental health. Historically there has also been a philosophical division between A.A. oriented substance abuse counselors and the rest of the helping professionals. The purpose of this article is to suggest and…

Twelve experienced therapists completed a questionnaire, and 8 of the 12 were then interviewed about their experiences with a therapeutic impasse that ended in therapy termination. Data were analyzed using a qualitative methodology. Results indicated most of the clients were anxious and depressed with personality disorders and interpersonal…