The demand for therapy has increased 400 percent in the past three decades, noting that about 250 different therapies treat the one syndrome shared by all patients, namely, demoralization. Whether such therapies really work is the subject of this report. (JN)

Examines the four existential realities of isolation, meaninglessness, death, and freedom as a framework for understanding Dante's "Divine Comedy." Argues that studying this text and its metaphors offers an enriched understanding of the dilemmas of human existence which can refine the understanding of the therapeutic relationship.…

Examines the place of poetry within five major schools of psychotherapy. Presents the process of self-creation as a final common pathway for poetry and therapy. Applies specific principles of poetry therapy to schizophrenic patients. Concludes with an identification of key issues pertaining to the role of the therapist and the field of poetry…

Different approaches to group therapy can be conceptualized as a continuum made up of possible group goals clustered around three points, i.e., therapy in, with, and of the group. For each point, the goal, pathology, focus/content, communication patterns, therapist's/patient's roles, and optimal size are delineated. (HLM)

Describes methods and concepts for empirically evaluating pertinence or suitability of therapist's interventions to patient's problems, needs, and treatment goals. Presents intensive studies of two brief psychotherapy cases in which patient-initiated critical incidents were identified, case-specific accuracy of therapist's responses was rated, and…

Suicide is a tragic and upsetting event which sometimes occurs when a person is in some form of therapy. This paper advocates a process after a patient commits suicide which allows for a thorough and orderly working through of the event by involved treatment personnel. (Author)

Redefines the role of family therapy in terms of the reemergence of the medical model in psychiatry. In this biopsychosocial model the goal of family therapy is defined as the achievement of socialization. Describes the goals of psychotherapy, sociotherapy, and biotherapy and suggests they are combined in family therapy. (Author/JAC)

Three case studies are used to discuss transference and countertransference issues arising from the pregnancy of mental health counselors. Discussion focuses on the effects of pregnancy on the therapist herself and clients' reactions to a pregnant therapist. (TE)

Two independent dimensions emerged as underlying participants' ratings of psychotherapy sessions, a depth/value dimension, and a smoothness/ease dimension. Clients and therapists showed moderately high agreement in how they described sessions on these two dimensions, indicating that both reacted in part to objectively observable features of the…

Uses a case study to show how a therapist can help a family by breaking their loops of preferential behaviors. Describes a systemic approach that helps prevent families from using the same feedback loops that lead to dead-ends in their behavior. (JAC)

Presents a model of therapy called "system therapy." Discussed epistemology, some basic concepts, stages of the therapeutic process, and the training of system therapists. Proposes and defines a therapeutic system. (Author)

Presents case of psychotherapist and 40-year-old female client whom he sees twice weekly in individual sessions. Describes client's symptoms and progress over 2.5 years of therapy and focuses on client's inability to pay therapy costs. Comments and advice to therapist regarding case are offered by Paul Rosen, Barent Walsh, Michael Stone, and…

The delivery of services in a health maintenance organization (HMO) provides many opportunities for innovation. There is a growing awareness that many outpatient medical visits are related to psychological or social needs. Because of the economic incentive for HMO's to reduce inappropriate utilization, psychologists and psychotherapists will play…