A discussion of "Homosexuality: The ethical challenge."

Takes issue with G. C. Davison (see PA, Vol 56:Issue 6) who suggests that homosexuality is a normal variant of sexuality and that the problems of homosexuals derive from societal prejudices. It is argued that homosexuality is pathological, being the outcome of adverse experiences with both parents, and that Davison's promulgation of the "new myth" that homosexuality is normal cannot and does not alter societal prejudice. Further, it is argued that if social pressures were entirely absent, homosexuals would still wish to change. Social pressures merely contribute to the suffering of homosexuals by reinforcing what is already there; the individuals hurt by the new mythology are homosexuals themselves in that it robs them of options and undermines the determination needed for a reconstructive, therapeutic experience. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Review of "Social Cognition: The Ontario Symposium."

Reviews the book, Social Cognition: The Ontario Symposium edited by E. Tory Higgins, C. Peter Herman and Mark P. Zanna (1981). This volume presents the papers from the first Ontario Symposium on Personality and Social Psychology which was held at the University of Western Ontario in 1978. The first five chapters deal with cognitive organization. Chapter 3 provides a broad overview of schemas and their functions and liabilities which is particularly good for the reader who is fairly naive to cognitive psychology. Chapter 2 overlaps with it quite a bit, but is narrower in scope - focusing only on the issue of the relationship of information relevance and congruence to schema memory. Chapter I presents a review of the literature and a series of experiments on cognitive clustering. Chapters 4 and 5 are more conceptual in nature, dealing with respectively, the manner in which schemas govern the encoding and retention of social information and a storage bin model of category accesibility. The second part of the book, chapters 6-11, focuses on specific aspects of cognitive mechanisms, processes and biases. Some of the chapters, such as those on the use of confirmatory strategies in interpersonal hypothesis testing, self-centered biases, and nonverbal behaviour in impression management, are summaries of the authors' own line of research. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Premature termination in the midst of psychotherapy: Three psychoanalytic perspectives.

Reviews the perspectives of the drive/structural, object relations, and self-psychology models as to premature termination. A case history is presented of a man in his late twenties who ended therapy after 2.5 yrs. Examining the commonalities in the application of the 3 models, a central issue is apparent: the man's conflicts over dependency. Whether these conflicts are construed as resistance to experiencing passive feminine desires, as separation–individuation conflicts, or as fears of retraumatization by an unattuned self-object, issues of dependence are central to the patient's leaving treatment prematurely. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

On Shulman's "The quantitative investigation of psychoanalytic theory and therapy: A bibliography 1986-1992."

Argues that D. G. Shulman's (see record 1993-22652-001) bibliography (1) includes references from psychotherapy research that are not very psychoanalytic, (2) neglects non-North-American literature, and (3) cites some contributors to major works while omitting others. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Language as a saboteur: The case of "case management."

The authors examine how the term case management—and, more generally, language—may function as a saboteur of psychotherapeutic meaning and foster the objectification of the clinical process and participant. The authors hope to foster awareness of the implications of word choices and thereby reduce the negative side effects accompanying the unintended meanings of these choices. More generally, the authors argue that curiosity, creativity, and the clinical process are deadened when language is allowed to function as a saboteur. The authors suggest an approach to clinical work that brings a heightened awareness of the power and ambiguity of words. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Comment on "The case of William McDougall."

Agrees that R. A. Jones's (see record 1988-03145-001) account of W. McDougall's decline and fall in the field of psychology in terms of the elaboration-likelihood model of R. E. Petty and J. T. Caciappo (1986) is plausible. However, McDougall's negative image surely had more important sources than the mass media. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Modifications in the psychoanalytic treatment of adults who "act-out."

Describes modifications of the psychoanalytic approach to benefit adults who, because of acting-out behavior, are considered not amenable to psychotherapy. Case profiles of 2 males, one who could not be faithful in marriage and the other who was involved in dangerous promiscuity, are presented as examples. Four principles (avoiding limit setting, extending perspectivism, maintaining active interest, and setting achievable goals) for working with such patients are presented. (10 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Comments on "a case study of the process and outcome of time-limited counseling."

The single-case outcome study reported by C. E. Hill et al (see record 1983-10833-001) has several strengths, including the use of sequential analysis and careful recording and investigation of sessions. However, several limitations are identified, such as the small variety of outcome measures, the lack of behavioral change measures, the failure to impose a theoretical structure on the therapy and its evaluation, and the suitability of this client for case analysis. Recommendations are made for case studies in outcome research. (12 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The psychoanalytic process: The search for common ground.

The author examines the search for the common ground of the psychoanalytic process. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

"The case against suicide prevention": Comment.

Comments on the article by T. Szasz (see record 1986-27453-001) advocating against coercive suicide prevention. The present author argues that suicidal behavior is often temporary, and as such warrants temporary restraint. He argues that treatment may reduce the danger of suicide, but inaction will not. He further maintains that Szasz overestimates the legal threat facing professionals who assume responsibility for suicidal persons. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

"The case against suicide prevention": Reply.

Responds to the comments by G. A. Clum (see record 1988-05003-001) about the article by the present author (see record 1986-27453-001) advocating against coercive suicide prevention. The present author denies that he advocates a policy of nonintervention, argues that mental health professionals should be willing to intervene noncoercively—by offering help to persons troubled by the idea of committing suicide, and states litigation is not relevant to the issue of treatment. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

"The mass of disputing doctors": Some implications of theoretical diversity for psychoanalytic practice.

Contends that the roots of the relation between psychoanalytic theory and clinical practice are obscured by preconceptions as old as psychoanalysis. The diversity of contemporary theory compels psychoanalysts to revise their view of this relation. The author asserts that an analyst's concurrent participation in the parallel discourses of theory and practice makes clinical work possible. Two other elements in the new perspective are discussed: Theory imposes prohibitions, and clinical process occurs in a framework of dualistic temporality. Despite their apparently esoteric aspect, these concepts belong to a prevailing but unformulated conception of how theory shapes clinical practice. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

"Interpreting in the dark": Race and ethnicity in psychoanalytic psychotherapy.

Discusses the impact of race and ethnicity on the psychotherapeutic process of 3 patients in psychoanalytic psychotherapy with an African-American therapist. Race and ethnicity remain topics that engender anxiety in social and clinical discourse. Psychoanalytic literature on race has been hampered by incomplete conceptualizations and overgeneralizations that often limit its clinical utility. Clinical examples are used to explore the way in which attention directed at racial issues provides a framework for the treatment alliance and illuminates key transferences and resistances. Discussion of racial issues is most fruitful when racial themes are situated in bodily and social contexts and when the meaning that race has in the therapy dyad is negotiated by patient and therapist, apart from idealized or socially correct conceptualizations from outside of the treatment situation. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

"The case of Helen R: A therapeutic failure?" A rejoinder to Hans Strupp's reply.

Responds to H. H. Strupp's (see record 1993-06521-001) reply to M. Snyder's (see record 1993-06522-001) comment on H. H. Strupp's (see record 1991-16137-001) article on the alleged failure of time-limited dynamic psychotherapy with a particular patient. When empathy is viewed as entering the other person's lifeworld, rather than simply experiencing his or her immediate psychological state, the risk of being programmed by a client to deliver a complimentary response that is self-limiting is greatly alleviated. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Revising memories and forming new connections: A comment on "The reunion process: A new focus in short-term dynamic psychotherapy."

It is both exciting and an honor to have the opportunity to comment on interesting articles in our field. And interesting this one is! It brings together multiple sources of information and ideas to create a revisioning of the therapeutic approach in a way that is stimulating and intriguing. Dr. Sandler (see record 2007-09422-001)presents what he terms a "reunion process," in which he proposes connecting with positive attachment experiences as a way to intervene with patients who, despite "having done the necessary work on the painful memories of attachment failures" face relapse and return of symptoms. His explanations of the process of connecting with positive attachments raise challenging questions about roles and functions of memory, therapeutic techniques and processes, and our explanations for how and why psychotherapy works. In this brief comment, I offer reactions and questions that I hope will be part of the continuing dialogue about this fascinating process we call psychotherapy. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Varieties of dissociative experiences: A multiple code account and a discussion of Bromberg's case of "William".

Adaptive functioning depends on integration of subsymbolic with symbolic functions within emotion schemas, as defined by multiple code theory. Psychological disorders result from dissociations within and between emotion schemas; logical dissociation is implicated in varying ways in all emotional disorders. Therapeutic work, as seen in P. M. Bromberg's (2003) clinical material, requires activation of subsymbolic bodily and sensory experience in the session; associated with ongoing events in the therapeutic relationship; triggering memories of the past. Reconnection of dissociated components of the emotion schemas occurs through their being activated and held in working memory. The effectiveness of interventions to facilitate such connection depends on gradual development of the therapeutic relationship, the converse of the etiology of a dissociated schema. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

"McMaster-Bauer symposium on Consciousness": Panel discussion.

Presents a panel discussion on topics relevant consciousness as part of the McMaster-Bauer symposium on consciousness (see record 2007-09336-001), including inner "voices", consciousness and social control, the neural substrates of consciousness, and the hardware/software distinction in the brain/computer metaphor. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

The two meanings of "defense": Toward an integration of cognitive psychology and psychoanalytic theory.

Uses concepts from cognitive psychology to illuminate a distinction proposed by R. S. Wallerstein (1967, 1983) between defense mechanisms vs defense contents and behaviors, which differ in important ways with consequences for such theoretical issues as the pathogenicity of defense, the role of defense in supportive psychotherapy, and the sense in which defenses are unconscious. Although defense contents and behaviors can be unconscious in Freud's dynamic sense, an understanding of the unconscious status of defense mechanisms requires an extension of the concept of the unconscious to include what J. Sandler and W. G. Joffe (1969) called the nonexperiential. Although C. Brenner argued against Wallerstein's distinction in the panel on defenses in the psychoanalytic process (J. Krent, 1970; see also Brenner, 1976 and 1981), this article shows how their differences can be resolved. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2011 APA, all rights reserved)     

The "equal-risk" model: A comment on McNemar.

Comments on Q. McNemar's (see record 1975-30837-001) suggested procedure for eliminating unfairness in personnel selection with respect to population subgroups and considers legal questions regarding civil rights and Equal Employment Opportunity considerations. McNemar misunderstood the purpose of the procedure advocated by H. J. Einhorn and A. R. Bass's (1971) equal risk model. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)