Assertion for therapists: A professional bill of rights.

To help the unassertive therapist, 9 professional rights are presented for the therapist. Also discussed are the irrational beliefs behind the abnegation of these rights, the negative consequences that accrue when the rights are not exercised, and the stance of the assertive-rational therapist. (12 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Self-help treatment for insomnia: Bibliotherapy with and without professional guidance.

Fifty-four adults with primary insomnia were randomly assigned to a self-help treatment (cognitive-behavioral bibliotherapy [BT]), BT with weekly phone consultations, or a waiting-list control (WL) group. Treated participants were mailed 6 treatment booklets at the rate of 1 booklet per week; 1/2 of them also received minimal professional guidance through a 15-min weekly phone consultation. The WL group members continued to monitor their sleep during this period. Participants in both treatment conditions improved significantly on the main outcome variables (total wake time and sleep efficiency) at posttreatment, whereas WL participants remained unchanged. The addition of weekly phone calls slightly enhanced improvements at posttreatment. However, both treatment conditions were comparable at follow-up. These results suggest that BT, with or without minimal professional guidance, is an effective approach for treating primary insomnia. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Effectiveness of A and B therapists with schizophrenics and neurotics: A referral study.

A basic assumption in the therapist A-B variable literature has been that A therapists are more effective with schizophrenic patients and that B therapists are more effective with neurotic patients. This has not been adequately demonstrated among experienced, practicing therapists since the original work of J. C. Whitehorn and B. J. Betz (1954, 1957, 1960) and D. McNair et al (1962). The current study attempted such a demonstration. Assuming a close relationship between a therapist's effectiveness and his/her reputation among professional colleagues, the study asked each of 60 psychologists to "refer" each of 6 case vignettes (2 schizophrenic, 2 neurotic, and 2 "other") to the colleague he/she believed would be most effective with that case. 41 Ss (20 As and 21 Bs, as determined by the Schiffman et al A-B scale reported by D. E. Kemp and J. H. Stephens, 1972) completed the task. A therapists received more schizophrenic than neurotic referrals, whereas B therapists received more neurotic than schizophrenic referrals. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Mental health values of professional therapists: A national interdisciplinary survey.

We conducted a national survey of clinical psychologists, marriage and family therapists, social workers, and psychiatrists to assess values pertinent to mental health and psychotherapy. The survey revealed considerable agreement among mental health professionals about this specific values domain. There was a strong relationship between their views of a value's importance for a positive, mentally healthy life-style and its usefulness in guiding psychotherapy. Differences in the characteristics of therapists were correlated with differences in their values. We also found factors related to value differences between professional groups. Implications for therapeutic philosophy and practice are considered, and the need for explicitness concerning values is emphasized. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Confidentiality after referral: A study of how restrictions on disclosure affect relationships between therapists and referral sources.

It is not uncommon for psychotherapists working with adolescents and young adults to receive requests for information from concerned referral sources who expect collaboration in working with the client. The present exploratory study examined the emotional responses of and attributions made by one type of referral source, university faculty, when they encountered the restrictions of confidentiality upheld by therapists working with students. Referral sources had more negative emotional reactions when less information was disclosed about a referred student. Suggestions are given regarding ways for therapists to maintain a positive relationship with referral sources when required to maintain confidentiality. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Single-case design: A primer for play therapists.

Play therapy research is typically presented to practitioners as extensive and detailed studies that involve excessive controls of variables and large numbers of subjects in order to generalize findings. However, single-case design is one research design that involves concentration on data collection from few participants and involves clinical decision-making of the play therapist. This article defines single-case design and provides step-by-step suggestions for how to conduct a single-case design study. We also provide a specific example of single-case application to play therapy intervention and further discuss common problems in play therapy single-case design implementation. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Play therapists on play therapy I.: A report of methods, demographics and professional practices.

Conducted a survey of 1,166 professionals to determine practices, issues, and perceptions of play therapy for children. Data were collected from 4 different sources with representation from a range of professionals practicing play therapy. Survey items dealt with demographic, professional/practice, and clinical issues. Results show that there were more than 3 times as many females as males in the sample. Of all the between-Ss factors, job most often demarcated significant within-sex group differences among play therapists. Most of the Ss checked several specific theories as relevant to their play therapy work. Essentially there was considerable agreement in this sample regarding the everyday conduct of play therapy. Findings also indicate the need for additional graduate-level training in play therapy. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Self-help interventions for smoking cessation.

Self-help interventions for smoking cessation are an important bridge between the clinical and public health approaches to smoking cessation. The current literature on self-help interventions is encouraging but incomplete. Although their quit rates are lower than those of more intensive programs, self-help interventions could have a large public health impact because of their potential for widespread distribution. Studies comparing self-help to more intensive treatment suggest that long-term cessation rates for self-help programs are potentially as high as rates for face-to-face interventions, with lower quit rates for self-help programs that are likely due to differences in program adherence. Tailored materials and personalized adjuncts (e.g., written feedback or telephone counseling) that promote program adherence may increase cessation rates. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Self-help task forces revisited: A reply to Dr. Lowman.

Addresses comments by R. L. Lowman (see record 1994-34536-001) about G. M. Rosen's (see record 1993-42527-001) discussion of the American Psychological Association's response to self-help therapies. Instances of apparent misinformation regarding the origin of task forces or work groups, failure to endorse work group recommendations, and suppression of work group documents are clarified. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Comparisons between psychologists and other professional groups.

It is estimated that as of 1953, there were 22,000 persons working as psychologists in the United States; 95,000 living persons have obtained bachelor's degrees with majors in psychology; 5,000 living persons have the Ph.D. degrees in psychology. About 12% of the students who have received a bachelor's degree in psychology have become professional psychologists; this accounts for approximately half of all the people in the country who are working as psychologists. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)