Psychotherapist mindfulness and the psychotherapy process.

[Correction Notice: An erratum for this article was reported in Vol 47(2) of Psychotherapy: Theory, Research & Practice (see record 2010-13424-005). the order of authorship and the affiliations of the authors was incorrectly printed. The correct order and affiliations are as follows: Noah Bruce, Shauna L. Shapiro, Michael J. Constantino, and Rachel Manber; Kaiser Permanente, Santa Clara University, University of Massachusetts, Stanford University] A psychotherapist’s ability to relate to his or her patients is essential for decreasing patient suffering and promoting patient growth. However, the psychotherapy field has identified few effective means for training psychotherapists in this ability. In this conceptual article, we propose that mindfulness practice may be a means for training psychotherapists to better relate to their patients. We posit that mindfulness is a means of self-attunement that increases one’s ability to attune to others (in this case, patients) and that this interpersonal attunement ultimately helps patients achieve greater self-attunement that, in turn, fosters decreased symptom severity, greater well-being, and better interpersonal relationships. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

"Minding one's emotions: Mindfulness training alters the neural expression of sadness": Correction to Farb et al (2010).

Reports an error in "Minding one’s emotions: Mindfulness training alters the neural expression of sadness" by Norman A. S. Farb, Adam K. Anderson, Helen Mayberg, Jim Bean, Deborah McKeon and Zindel V. Segal (Emotion, 2010[Feb], Vol 10[1], 25-33). The DOI printed in the article was incorrect. The correct DOI is presented in the erratum. (The following abstract of the original article appeared in record 2010-01983-008.) Recovery from emotional challenge and increased tolerance of negative affect are both hallmarks of mental health. Mindfulness training (MT) has been shown to facilitate these outcomes, yet little is known about its mechanisms of action. The present study employed functional MRI (fMRI) to compare neural reactivity to sadness provocation in participants completing 8 weeks of MT and wait-listed controls. Sadness resulted in widespread recruitment of regions associated with self-referential processes along the cortical midline. Despite equivalent self-reported sadness, MT participants demonstrated a distinct neural response, with greater right-lateralized recruitment, including visceral and somatosensory areas associated with body sensation. The greater somatic recruitment observed in the MT group during evoked sadness was associated with decreased depression scores. Restoring balance between affective and sensory neural networks—supporting conceptual and body based representations of emotion—could be one path through which mindfulness reduces vulnerability to dysphoric reactivity. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Correction to Larsson, Kaldo, and Broberg (2009).

Reports an error in "Similarities and differences between practitioners of psychotherapy in Sweden: A comparison of attitudes between psychodynamic, cognitive, cognitive–behavioral, and integrative therapists" by Billy P. M. Larsson, Viktor Kaldo and Anders G. Broberg (Journal of Psychotherapy Integration, 2009[Mar], Vol 19[1], 34-66). The results of the post hoc tests were printed illegibly. In order to make it possible for the reader to understand which of the effect sizes belong to which of the comparisons, the tables are clarified in this erratum. (The following abstract of the original article appeared in record 2009-03150-003.) This study focuses on similarities and differences between Swedish psychotherapists of four orientations: psychodynamic, cognitive, cognitive–behavioral, and integrative therapy. The aim is to describe similarities and differences regarding (a) background factors, (b) focus in psychotherapy, (c) attitudes toward psychotherapy as art/craftsmanship, (d) scientific outlook, (e) what characterizes a good psychotherapist, and (f) how psychotherapy ought to be pursued. The therapists had very similar attitudes about the therapeutic relationship and rather similar attitudes about which effects psychotherapy ought to obtain. The greatest differences were related to psychotherapeutic techniques and science. The results are discussed with emphasis on the distance or proximity between the orientations. The conclusion is that there are differences between psychodynamic psychotherapy compared with cognitive and cognitive–behavioral therapies, which imply difficulties in integrating these orientations. However, the differences between the cognitive and cognitive–behavioral therapists are not of such a magnitude that they necessarily present an obstacle to integration. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Group Climate, Cohesion, Alliance, and Empathy in Group Psychotherapy: Multilevel Structural Equation Models.

This study examined the definitional and statistical overlap among 4 key group therapeutic relationship constructs--group climate, cohesion, alliance, and empathy--across member-member, member-group, and member-leader relationships. Three multilevel structural equation models were tested using self-report measures completed by 662 participants from 111 counseling center and personal growth groups. As hypothesized, almost all measures of therapeutic relationship were significantly correlated. Hypothesized 1-factor, 2-factor (Working and Bonding factors), and 3-factor (Member, Leader, and Group factors) models did not fit the data adequately. An exploratory model with Bonding, Working, and Negative factors provided the best fit to the data. Group members distinguished among relationships primarily according to relationship quality rather than the status or role of others (i.e., leader, member, or whole group). (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

"Clinical child psychology: A practice specialty serving children, adolescents, and their families": Correction to Jackson et al (2010).

Reports an error in "Clinical child psychology: A practice specialty serving children, adolescents, and their families" by Yo Jackson, Fred L. Alberts Jr. and Michael C. Roberts (Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 2010[Feb], Vol 41[1], 75-81). The following sentence on page 79 is incorrect: “As evidence of the growing recognition of board certification, many institutions providing services to children, adolescents, and families are requiring their psychologists to become certified by ABPP (e.g., Mayo Clinic) and some insurance companies now mandate this for their panels (e.g., Group Health in Seattle).” In fact Group Health in Seattle does not mandate ABPP certification for psychologists. The sentence should not contain the example in the second set of parentheses. (The following abstract of the original article appeared in record 2010-02467-010.) Clinical child psychology is a growing and vibrant field of practice and research within professional psychology. The purpose of this article is to contribute to the recent series of articles on specialties in Professional Psychology Research and Practice and delineate the development, design, and purpose of clinical child psychology. The article describes the current trends in the specialty and the challenges clinical child psychologists face in tending to the mental health needs of youth and their families. The need for the specialty and the definition of the scope of the work of clinical child psychologists is described. The parameters of training are also discussed, with a focus on the distinctiveness of the role of the clinical child psychologist. Outlined are applications of the work with children, adolescents, and their families including types of professional practice and collaborations with other professionals. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Beyond the therapeutic relationship: Behavioral, biological, and cognitive foundations of psychotherapy.

Reviews the book, Beyond the therapeutic relationship: Behavioral, biological, and cognitive foundations of psychotherapy by Frederic J. Leger (see record 1997-36714-000). Leger has tackled the very large task of presenting an integrative, eclectic theory of psychotherapy which specifies the behavioural, biological, and cognitive processes that underlie psychotherapeutic change. In doing so, he follows in the tradition of other integrationists who have strived to outline frameworks that can encompass the diversity of explanatory emphases and practices in the dozens of present-day psychological therapies. In part, Leger's goal in proposing a "higher-order theory" is to lessen the "confusion which threatens to overwhelm the field" and to hasten a "convergence of scientific opinion." Leger supports his higher-order theory by drawing from a massive amount of literature in areas as seemingly diverse as nonverbal interaction, cognitive science, physiology, neurology, and discursive psychology, as well as from his own clinical experience. And it is the scope of his knowledge and his attempt to focus the reader's attention on the importance of the often ignored influence of therapists' nonverbal behaviours and the frequently taken-for-granted effects of maximal client self-disclosure that are the most impressive features of the book. However, the reviewer feels that the book may not have much impact, first because there have been several previous attempts by other writers to propose models of eclectic psychotherapy or to develop frameworks for integrating diverse forms of psychotherapy, and second because the style in which it is written quickly becomes rather tiresome. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Measuring psychotherapy process with the Adolescent Psychotherapy Q-set (APQ): Development and applications for training.

This study presents the initial findings from the development of an adolescent version of the Child Psychotherapy Q-set (CPQ, Schneider, 2003). The CPQ is a psychotherapy process measure that utilizes Q-methodology to define psychotherapy process in an empirical form suitable for quantitative analysis. This new instrument, the Adolescent Psychotherapy Process Q-set (APQ), was developed to be pantheoretical in assessing the process of psychotherapy with adolescents. Panels of "expert" psychodynamic (PD) and cognitive-behavioral (CB) theoreticians and practitioners (N = 22) rated the 100 APQ items, and these ratings were factor analyzed to develop general prototypes of ideally conducted therapy for each respective orientation. Agreement between and amongst the experts was examined; in order to determine the reliability of, and shared variance between, each prototype. Coefficient alpha reliabilities were high for both PD (.93) and CB (.94) orientations. A significant correlation between the factor scores of each prototype (r = .31; p ≤ .01) was found. In a second study, a case example is provided to demonstrate the applications of the APQ and the prototypes in psychotherapy training and supervision. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Standing in the Spaces: Essays on Clinical Process, Trauma, and Dissociation.

Review of book: Philip Bromberg. Standing in the Spaces: Essays on Clinical Process, Trauma, and Dissociation. Hillsdale, NJ: Analytic Press, 1998, 365 pp. Reviewed by Peter Kaufmann. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Social behavior phenotypes in fragile X syndrome, autism, and the Fmr1 knockout mouse: Theoretical comment on McNaughton et al. (2008).

Comments on the article by C. H. McNaughton et al. ((see record 2008-03769-005). Individuals with fragile X syndrome (FXS) show varying degrees of social behavior disturbances, from social anxiety to autism. This variability of social behavior phenotypes in FXS is likely to be due to interactions of Fmr1 with other gene variants and environmental factors during brain development, although very little is known about the specific genetic and neural mechanisms involved. The Fmr1 knockout mouse is an important experimental resource for elucidating the neural mechanisms of social anxiety, social reward, and social cognition. However, studies of social behavior phenotypes in the Fmr1 knockout mouse are still in early stages. McNaughton et al provide important new information on these phenotypes in the Fmr1 knockout mouse through their use of novel, detailed behavioral analysis to identify signs of increased social anxiety and social cognition deficits. Their significant refinements in measurement of social behavior phenotypes will help to advance future efforts to elucidate the genetic and neural mechanisms underlying social behavior disturbances in FXS and autism. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

"On the relationship between lateralized brain function and orienting asymmetries": Correction to Teufel et al. (2010).

Reports an error in "On the relationship between lateralized brain function and orienting asymmetries" by Christoph Teufel, Asif A. Ghazanfar and Julia Fischer (Behavioral Neuroscience, 2010[Aug], Vol 124[4], 437-445). In the article, we wrote that “the likelihood of obtaining at least one significant result at p n. The probability of obtaining at least one significant result is therefore 1 — (1— α)n. (The following abstract of the original article appeared in record 2010-16138-001.) Hemispheric specializations for language perception constitute one of the classic topic in cognitive neuroscience. Evidence has accumulated to suggest that lateralized acoustic processing is not restricted to humans but is also found in numerous animal species. One of the methods used to track such lateralization is the orienting-asymmetry paradigm, a simple, noninvasive means to study lateralization that has been applied to a range of different species ranging from harpy eagles to humans. Here we summarize and compare the results of studies employing the orienting-asymmetry paradigm, showing that these studies yield largely inconsistent results. We critically discuss the methodology's implicit assumptions and conclude that the empirical inconsistencies produced by the orienting-asymmetry paradigm, and the lack of sufficient evidence supporting the paradigm's underlying assumptions, warrant serious caution when interpreting results obtained by the method. Nontrivial interpretations of orienting-asymmetry results will require a much better understanding of how lateralized brain functions interact with overt behaviors. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of Polarities of experience: Relatedness and self-definition in personality development, psychopathology, and the therapeutic process and Relatedness, self-definition and mental representation: Essays in honor of Sidney J. Blatt.

Reviews the books, Polarities of experience: Relatedness and self-definition in personality development, psychopathology, and the therapeutic process by Sidney J. Blatt (see record 2008-01813-000) and Relatedness, self-definition and mental representation: Essays in honor of Sidney J. Blatt edited by John S. Auerbach, Kenneth N. Levy, and Carrie E. Schaffer (2005). These two volumes present a most impressive and fitting capstone to Sidney Blatt’s very productive lifetime of almost unmatched threefold integration of (a) clinical experience, beginning with his astute observation of the strikingly different thematic preoccupations of two otherwise very similarly depressed patients whom Blatt was analyzing during his psychoanalytic training; (b) the theoretic conceptualization stemming from these clinical observations, which became the basic fabric of his lifetime major addition to our psychological explanatory universe; and (c) the painstaking systematic empirical data gathering, together with the creation of necessary—and truly appropriate—measures and instruments that, in ensemble, provide such strong data-based support for Blatt’s clinically inspired theoretic harvesting. In the book Polarities of experience: Relatedness and self-definition in personality development, psychopathology, and the therapeutic process, Blatt draws upon a vast literature review of his own work with his collaborating authors—as well as a seemingly exhaustive list of contributors in all the linked and related areas. Blatt has organized his volume sequentially (after defining and describing his fundamental polarity of experience) into three logically following sections on personality development, personality organization and psychopathology, and lastly, the therapeutic process. Relatedness, self-definition and mental representation: Essays in honor of Sidney J. Blatt is put together by three of Blatt’s former students, and now collaborating partners, although published 3 years earlier (2005), is best read as a supplement to, and a complement of, Blatt’s own account. There are 18 chapters, about half of them by Blatt’s former students who became working colleagues, and they are all well represented in Blatt’s own volume as well as having ample references to papers by, and with, Blatt in their own chapters here (anywhere from a dozen references to their work together, and on up, per chapter). The other half are by eminent colleagues, at Yale University and elsewhere, contemporaries of Blatt, with shared or related interests, and some of their chapters are based on that shared interest, though usually approached from a differing perspective, and some are expositions of their own work, with only tangentially shared themes. This half is a set of most distinguished psychological colleagues, all joined in paying tribute to their admired colleague. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

"Genetic influences on the dynamics of pain and affect in fibromyalgia": Correction to Finan et al. (2010).

Reports an error in "Genetic influences on the dynamics of pain and affect in fibromyalgia" by Patrick H. Finan, Alex J. Zautra, Mary C. Davis, Kathryn Lemery–Chalfant, Jonathan Covault and Howard Tennen (Health Psychology, 2010[Mar], Vol 29[2], 134-142). In the article, grant information was omitted from the author note. The authors wish to acknowledge grant support from the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (R01 AR046034: Alex J. Zautra, PI). (The following abstract of the original article appeared in record 2010-04888-006.) Objective: The purpose of the present investigation was to determine if variation in the catechol- O-methyltransferase (COMT) and mu-opioid receptor (OPRM1) genes is associated with pain-related positive affective regulation in fibromyalgia (FM). Design: Forty-six female patients with FM completed an electronic diary that included daily assessments of positive affect and pain. Between- and within-person analyses were conducted with multilevel modeling. Main Outcome Measure: Daily positive affect was the primary outcome measure. Results: Analyses revealed a significant gene × experience interaction for COMT, such that individuals with met/met genotype experienced a greater decline in positive affect on days when pain was elevated than did either val/met or val/val individuals. This finding supports a role for catecholamines in positive affective reactivity to FM pain. A gene × experience interaction for OPRM1 also emerged, indicating that individuals with at least one asp?? allele maintained greater positive affect despite elevations in daily pain than those homozygous for the asn?? allele. This finding may be explained by the asp?? allele’s role in reward processing. Conclusions: Together, the findings offer researchers ample reason to further investigate the contribution of the catecholamine and opioid systems, and their associated genomic variants, to the still poorly understood experience of FM. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

"An item response theory integration of normal and abnormal personality scales": Correction to Samuel et al (2010).

Reports an error in "An item response theory integration of normal and abnormal personality scales" by Douglas B. Samuel, Leonard J. Simms, Lee Anna Clark, W. John Livesley and Thomas A. Widiger (Personality Disorders: Theory, Research, and Treatment, 2010[Jan], Vol 1[1], 5-21). In the acknowledgments, Douglas Samuel was incorrectly listed as the author of the DAPP-BQ instrument. John Livesley is the correct author of the DAPP-BQ instrument. (The following abstract of the original article appeared in record 2010-01479-005.) The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM–IV–TR) currently conceptualizes personality disorders (PDs) as categorical syndromes that are distinct from normal personality. However, an alternative dimensional viewpoint is that PDs are maladaptive expressions of general personality traits. The dimensional perspective postulates that personality pathology exists at a more extreme level of the latent trait than does general personality. This hypothesis was examined using item response theory analyses comparing scales from two personality pathology instruments—the Dimensional Assessment of Personality Pathology-Basic Questionnaire (DAPP-BQ; Livesley & Jackson, in press) and the Schedule for Nonadaptive and Adaptive Personality (SNAP; Clark, 1993; Clark, Simms, Wu, & Casillas, in press)—with scales from an instrument designed to assess normal range personality, the NEO Personality Inventory–Revised (NEO PI-R; Costa & McCrae, 1992). The results indicate that respective scales from these instruments assess shared latent constructs, with the NEO PI-R providing more information at the lower (normal) range and the DAPP-BQ and SNAP providing more information at the higher (abnormal) range. Nevertheless, the results also demonstrated substantial overlap in coverage. Implications of the findings are discussed with respect to the study and development of items that would provide specific discriminations along underlying trait continua. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

"Psychology in extremis: Preventing problems of professional competence in dangerous practice settings": Correction to Johnson et al. (2011).

Reports an error in "Psychology in extremis: Preventing problems of professional competence in dangerous practice settings" by W. Brad Johnson, Shannon J. Johnson, Glenn R. Sullivan, Bruce Bongar, Laurence Miller and Morgan T. Sammons (Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 2011[Feb], Vol 42[1], 94-104). The title and authors for the first section of the article, beginning of the first column on page 95, were inadvertently omitted. The section should have begun with the following: “In Extremis Practice: Ensuring Competence During and After Deployment to a Combat Zone,” by W. Brad Johnson and Shannon J. Johnson. (The following abstract of the original article appeared in record 2011-04544-013.) When a psychologist provides services in a dangerous context—a work setting defined by persistent threat to the psychologist's own personal safety and well-being—the psychologist is said to practice in extremis. Psychologists who routinely function in extremis, such as those in correctional, disaster response, military, and police psychology—among other specialties—may be at increased risk for troubling experiences such as direct or vicarious traumatization, compassion fatigue, and empathy failure. Over time, in extremis experiences may contribute to decrements in professional competence. When psychologists become aware of personal problems that interfere with their work, they must take steps to ameliorate the problem while protecting consumers. In this Focus on Ethics, we discuss the difficulty inherent in self-identifying and correcting problems of professional competence when working in a high-threat environment. Three expert commentaries further elucidate in extremis competency concerns from the perspective of disaster response, police, and military psychology. The authors provide numerous recommendations for helping psychologists to ensure ongoing competence in in extremis jobs. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

"Predictors of psychotherapeutic benefit of lesbian, gay, and bisexual clients: The effects of sexual orientation matching and other factors": Correction to Jones et al. (2003).

Reports an error in "Predictors of Psychotherapeutic Benefit of Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Clients: The Effects of Sexual Orientation Matching and Other Factors" by Mary Ann Jones, Michael Botsko and Bernard S. Gorman (Psychotherapy: Theory, Research, Practice, Training, 2003[Win], Vol 40[4], 289-301). On page 293, Table 3 is incorrectly identified as Table 2, and on pages 294-295, Table 2 is incorrectly identified as Table 3. (The following abstract of the original article appeared in record 2003-11058-004.) Predictors of the level of benefit derived from nearly 2,000 psychotherapy episodes reported by a nationwide, nonprobability sample of 600 lesbian, gay, and bisexual clients were analyzed using ordinary least squares regression, corrected by generalized-estimating-equation (GEE) procedures for lack of independence in the data. Among the positive predictors of benefit are the following: the year the episode began; the number of sessions in the episode; the client's identifying him- or herself as gay, lesbian, or bisexual at the beginning of the episode and being unconflicted about it; and having a therapist who is female, gay, or lesbian or who trained as a social worker or a psychologist. Negative predictors include having a therapist who is an analyst, who uses reparative therapy, or who violates sexual boundaries. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

"Effects on executive function following damage to the prefrontal cortex in the rhesus monkey (Macaca mulatta)": Correction to Moore et al (2009).

Reports an error in "Effects on executive function following damage to the prefrontal cortex in the rhesus monkey (Macaca mulatta)" by Tara L. Moore, Stephen P. Schettler, Ronald J. Killiany, Douglas L. Rosene and Mark B. Moss (Behavioral Neuroscience, 2009[Apr], Vol 123[2], 231-241). There was an error in the first sentence of the third full paragraph in the text on p. 235. The sentence should read “Based on the lesion reconstructions it was determined, as intended, that all monkeys had complete damage to areas 46, 8a, 8b, 9 and slight damage to area 10.” (The following abstract of the original article appeared in record 2009-04037-001.) Executive function is a term used to describe the cognitive processes subserved by the prefrontal cortex (PFC). An extensive body of work has characterized the effects of damage to the PFC in nonhuman primates, but it has focused primarily on the capacity of recognition and working memory. One limitation in studies of the functional parcellation of the PFC has been the absence of tests that assess executive function or its functional components. The current study used an adaptation of the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test, a classic test of frontal lobe and executive function in humans, to assess the effects of bilateral lesions in the dorsolateral PFC on executive function in the rhesus monkey (Macaca mulatta). The authors used the category set-shifting task, which requires the monkey to establish a pattern of responding to a specific category (color or shape) based on reward contingency, maintain that pattern of responding, and then shift to responding to a different category when the reward contingency changes. Rhesus monkeys with lesions of the dorsolateral PFC were impaired in abstraction, establishing a response pattern to a specific category and maintaining and shifting that response pattern on the category set-shifting task. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Piagetian Liquid Conservation in the Great Apes (Pan paniscus, Pan troglodytes, and Pongo pygmaeus).

An understanding of Piagetian liquid conservation was investigated in 4 bonobos (Pan paniscus), 5 chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes), and 5 orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus). The apes were tested in the ability to track the larger of 2 quantities of juice that had undergone various kinds of transformations. The accuracy of the apes' judgment depended on the shape or number of containers into which the larger quantity was transferred. The apes made their choice mainly on the basis of visual estimation but showed modest success when the quantities were occluded. The results suggest that the apes rely to a greater extent on visual information, although they might have some appreciation of the constancy of liquid quantities. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)