scholarly journals A developmental perspective on adolescent psychoanalytic psychotherapy. An Italian study with the Adolescent Psychotherapy Q-Set

Author(s):  
Mauro Di Lorenzo ◽  
Alfio Maggiolini ◽  
Virginia Anna Suigo

Introduction: despite large and widely accepted research on effectiveness, most of psychotherapy research has been done with adults; few studies have been published on the process of adolescent psychotherapy, due to the complexity of the subject and the absence of instruments sensitive enough to empirically capture its nuances. Within psychoanalytic framework, a developmental approach is particu-larly helpful in the psychotherapy of adolescents. Objective: the purpose of this study was to investigate the typical features of Italian Adolescence Psychodynamic Psychotherapy and its similarities and differences with other adolescence psycho-therapeutic approaches; We also aimed at analyzing typical therapists’ responses to adolescent patients. Method: 50 italian adolescence psychotherapists filled a brief questionnaire about their clinical expertise, completed the Adolescent Psychothe-rapy Q – Set (APQ) and the Therapist Response Questionnaire (TRQ) in order to describe their “actual” practice with adolescents. Results: therapeutic process is characterized by a priority to helping adolescent make sense of his own experience, it focuses on present relationships and emotions rather than on past. Strong similar-ities with Mentalization Based Therapy, mild and no correlations with Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy and Classical Psychoanalysis respectively were found; towards adolescents therapists generaly display positive and protective countertransference responses. They less frequenlty show negative responses as overprotection, hostility or feeling of overwhelming. Conclusions: APQ and TRQ can provide meaningfull information about adolescent psychotherapy process. Instruments’ improvement (i.e. reviewd items for APQ) and future perspectives are also discussed.

Author(s):  
Barış Can ◽  
Sibel Halfon

Despite advances in psychotherapy research showing an evidence-base for psychodynamic psychotherapy (PDT) in adolescents, developmentally specific treatment characteristics are under-researched. We aimed to identify interaction structures (IS: reciprocal patterns of in-session interactions involving therapist interventions, patient behaviors, and the therapeutic relationship) and assess associations between IS and outcome. The study cohort comprised 43 adolescents (Mage = 13.02 years) with nonclinical, internalizing, and comorbid internalizing–externalizing problems in PDT. A total of 123 sessions from different treatment phases were rated based on the Adolescent Psychotherapy Q-Set (APQ). Outcome was assessed with the Brief Problem Monitor-Youth (BPM-Y) administered repeatedly over the treatment course. Principal component analysis of APQ items resulted in five IS, named “Negative Therapeutic Alliance”, “Demanding Patient, Accommodating Therapist”, “Emotionally Distant Resistant Patient”, “Inexpressive Patient, Inviting Therapist”, and “Exploratory Psychodynamic Technique” (EPT). Multilevel modeling analyses with Bayesian Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) estimations indicated a two-way interaction effect between EPT and problem levels at baseline such that patients with lower problems at baseline showed good outcome in the context of EPT, whereas an inverse relationship was found for patients with higher problems. Findings provide empirical evidence for characteristic components of PDT for adolescents and preliminary answers about who benefits from psychodynamic techniques.


Author(s):  
Benoît Verdon ◽  
Catherine Chabert ◽  
Catherine Azoulay ◽  
Michèle Emmanuelli ◽  
Françoise Neau ◽  
...  

After many years of clinical practice, research and the teaching of projective tests, Shentoub and her colleagues (Debray, Brelet, Chabert & al.) put forward an original and rigorous method of analysis and interpretation of the TAT protocols in terms of psychoanalysis and clinical psychopathology. They developed the TAT process theory in order to understand how the subject builds a narrative. Our article will emphasize the source of the analytical approach developed by V. Shentoub in the 1950s to current research; the necessity of marking the boundary between the manifest and latent content in the cards; the procedure for analyzing the narrative, supported by an analysis sheet for understanding the stories' structure and identifying the defense mechanisms; and how developing hypotheses about how the mental functions are organized, as well as their potential psychopathological characteristics; and the formulation of a diagnosis in psychodynamic terms. In conjunction with the analysis and interpretation of the Rorschach test, this approach allows us to develop an overview of the subject's mental functioning, taking into account both the psychopathological elements that may threaten the subject and the potential for a therapeutic process. We will illustrate this by comparing neurotic, borderline, and psychotic personalities.


This book is a comprehensive overview of how solution-focused brief therapy (SFBT) can be used as a treatment approach for working with clients managing various forms of trauma. This book includes an overview of SFBT with its basic tenets and a description of the current research supporting SFBT as an evidence-based practice. This is followed by a comparison of how SFBT clinicians may approach trauma cases differently than clinicians from other therapeutic approaches. The bulk of the book includes various chapters contributed by skilled SFBT clinicians, with differing clinical expertise, illustrating SFBT as it is applied to different traumatic experiences/clinical cases. This book is the first solution-focused book to comprehensively discuss how traumatized clients can be helped to develop a unique preferred future and move toward healing and health. The distinguishing feature of this book lies not only in its unique approach to trauma but also in the outstanding contributors from various specialties in the field of trauma and SFBT: These contributors will share their knowledge and describe their strength-based, resiliency focus of applying SFBT in different traumatic circumstances.


Author(s):  
Natalia Bryniarska-Kubiak ◽  
Andrzej Kubiak ◽  
Małgorzata Lekka ◽  
Agnieszka Basta-Kaim

AbstractNervous system diseases are the subject of intensive research due to their association with high mortality rates and their potential to cause irreversible disability. Most studies focus on targeting the biological factors related to disease pathogenesis, e.g. use of recombinant activator of plasminogen in the treatment of stroke. Nevertheless, multiple diseases such as Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease still lack successful treatment. Recently, evidence has indicated that physical factors such as the mechanical properties of cells and tissue and topography play a crucial role in homeostasis as well as disease progression. This review aims to depict these factors’ roles in the progression of nervous system diseases and consequently discusses the possibility of new therapeutic approaches. The literature is reviewed to provide a deeper understanding of the roles played by physical factors in nervous system disease development to aid in the design of promising new treatment approaches. Graphic abstract


1973 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 175-183 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nathan B. Epstein ◽  
Duane S. Bishop

In summary, it can be said that progress is being made in the field, but slowly. The ‘art’ is vigorous, vital and exciting. The ranks of family therapists are swelling and they are coming from backgrounds of different theoretical persuasions and with varying degrees of sophistication in their training and education. This mélange does lead to excitement and turbulence but often detracts from the necessary rigour that a scientific discipline must develop in order to reach maturity. Systems theory allows for easy conceptualization of one another's behaviour in the system, and permits a much clearer understanding of the therapeutic process based upon it, in contrast to therapeutic approaches based on other models. The authors found negotiation to be therapeutically effective when made explicit. In addition they place the focus on the ‘here and now’ and encourage the increased labeling by family members of interactions (affective and behavioural) and their effects (affective and behavioural), according to the Family Categories Schema previously referred to. Efforts are directed especially towards dealing with the current resistances to problem solutions. Epstein et al. have reported on an ongoing program of research which attempts to examine the process and outcome of family therapy (7,10,21,22,25,26). What is needed now is a more rigorous approach to research and the development of a necessary theoretical base in order that a more systematic and scientific approach can be developed for treating families.


2016 ◽  
Vol 38 (2) ◽  
pp. 71-79 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fernanda Barcellos Serralta ◽  
John Stuart Ablon

Abstract Introduction: The Psychotherapy Process Q-Set (PQS) prototype method is used to measure the extent to which ideal processes of different psychotherapies are present in real cases, allowing researchers to examine how adherence to these models relates to or predicts change. Results from studies of short-term psychotherapies suggest that the original psychodynamic prototype is more suitable for studying psychoanalysis and long-term psychodynamic psychotherapy than its time-limited counterparts. Furthermore, culture probably influences how therapies are typically conducted in a given country. Therefore, it seems appropriate to develop Brazilian prototypes on which to base studies of short-term psychodynamic and cognitive-behavioral processes in this country. Objective: To develop prototypes for studying processes of short-term psychotherapies and to examine the degree of adherence of two real psychotherapy cases to these models. Methods: Expert clinicians used the PQS to rate a hypothetical ideal session of either short-term psychodynamic psychotherapy (STPP) or cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). Ratings were submitted to Q-type factor analysis to confirm the two groups. Regressive factor scores were rank ordered to describe the prototypes. These ideal models were correlated with ratings of actual therapy processes in two complete psychotherapy cases, one STPP and the other CBT. Results: Agreement levels between expert ratings were high and the two ideal models were confirmed. As expected, the PQS ratings for actual STPP and CBT cases had significant correlations with their respective ideal models, but the STPP case also adhered to the CBT prototype. Conclusion: Overall, the findings reveal the adequacy of the prototypes for time-limited therapies, providing initial support of their validity.


Author(s):  
Eunice Barbosa ◽  
Maria Amendoeira ◽  
Tiago Ferreira ◽  
Ana Sofia Teixeira ◽  
José Pinto-Gouveia ◽  
...  

This study aims to clarify the roles of immersion and distancing (that is, reflection on an experience from an egocentric point of view or as an observer, respectively) on therapeutic change analyzing i) the evolution of these two perspectives across the resolution of a clinical problem, and ii) the relationship between immersion/distancing with symptoms and emotional arousal. We extracted all the passages of speech pertaining to the most relevant clinical problem of a good outcome case of depression undergoing cognitive-behavioral therapy. We assessed the distancing/immersion of these extracts using the Measure of Immersed and Distanced Speech, and emotional arousal with the Client Emotional Arousal Scale-III. The symptoms were assessed from the Beck Depression Inventory-II and Outcome Questionnaire-10.2. Immersion was associated with symptoms and negative emotions, while distancing was associated with clinical well being and positive emotions. Immersion was still dominant when depressive symptoms were below the clinical threshold. Clinical change was associated with a decrease in immersion and an increase in distancing. The dominance of immersion does not necessarily indicate a bad outcome.


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