Sensitive Psychotherapy Research Articles

Culturally sensitive psychotherapy in India: Integrating traditional and Western approaches.

Culturally sensitive psychotherapy in India: Integrating traditional and Western approaches.

Testing the Benefits of Reducing Prenatal Maternal Depression for Maternal and Infant outcomes: A randomized controlled trial

Depression is one of the most common prenatal complications affecting 13 to 40 percent of pregnant individuals. Prenatal depression has far-reaching implications for both the mother and for the next generation, including premature birth, dysregulation of stress physiology, developmental delays, and vulnerability to psychopathology. Despite this clear need, there is a dearth of available and efficacious prenatal interventions. Further, few studies have evaluated physiological pathways by which reducing maternal depression may benefit the fetus. The Care Project uses a randomized controlled trial design (RCT) to test a culturally sensitive psychotherapy intervention (brief interpersonal therapy) designed for pregnant individuals (MomCare). Effects of the intervention on both psychological well-being and neurobiological processes will be assessed. This RCT included 234 pregnant participants [119 enhanced usual care (EUC) and 115 active treatment (MomCare)]. Depression symptoms were assessed at baseline and throughout gestation; Symptom Checklist-20. Prenatal maternal cortisol and placental corticotropin releasing hormone and infant brain and behavioral markers also were assessed. Analyses were conducted using an intent to treat design by a biostatistician blind to group condition. Employing hierarchical linear modeling, analyses revealed a significantly faster rate of decrease in depression symptoms over pregnancy between the MomCare (8.9 pts) and EUC (3.1 pts) groups, t(229)=3.77, p=.0002; medium effect size (D=0.50, 95%CI 0.16-0.84). The prenatal intervention, MomCare, resulted in a meaningful reduction in prenatal maternal depression symptoms. Next steps include testing the hypothesis that reducing maternal prenatal depression will influence both prenatal biological pathways and infant neurodevelopment assessed through age 4.

The Therapeutic Relationship in EMDR Therapy.

The history of EMDR Therapy goes back to 1987, when it was introduced as EMD, a novel treatment for PTSD by Francine Shapiro. Over the course of time EMD developed into the comprehensive therapy approach named EMDR Therapy. The development of the “Adaptive Information Processing (AIP) Model”, the model of pathogenesis and change of EMDR Therapy, was a milestone in this development from technique to psychotherapy approach. Up to date EMDR Therapy offers not only a model of pathogenesis and change, but also a variety of treatment plans and techniques to treat patients of various diagnosis far beyond PTSD. What seems to be missing is a specific description of the therapeutic relationship in EMDR Therapy. The therapeutic relationship should be described as a core element of EMDR Therapy, and seems be related to the structure of EMDR Therapy. As attachment theory offers a view on the development of interpersonal relationships in general, an attachment theory based perspective of the therapeutic relationship seems advisable. A description of the therapeutic relationship in EMDR Therapy is necessary at this point of the development of EMDR Therapy to a psychotherapeutic approach and therefore we try to describe the therapeutic relationship in this article and point out parallels between the therapeutic relationship and the development and core features of an attachment based relationship. We propose to describe EMDR Therapy as a sensitive psychotherapy. Implications for treatment, training and research will be discussed.

“Men are not raised to share feelings” Exploring Male Patients’ Discourses on Participating in Group Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy

Existing literature on the psychology of men and masculinity indicates that men face specific mental health difficulties. Overall, men seem more reluctant to seek out mental health services than women. This study explores the ways in which seven male patients talk about their experiences of participating in cognitive-behavioral group therapy in the context of outpatient Danish mental health services. Employing a discourse analytical approach, this study investigates how traditional masculinity ideals affect the men’s accounts of participating in cognitive behavioral group therapy. The analysis indicates that traditional masculinity informs the interpretative repertoires men apply to describe their preconceptions of therapy and engaging in therapy. In turn, these common-sense understandings make certain subject positions available, which may be gendered. The relevance of the findings for future gender sensitive psychotherapy practice with men is discussed.

Otherwise than Empire: Psychotherapeutic Implications of Brueggemann’s Prophetic Imagination

This article draws on theologian Walter Brueggemann’s analysis of the prophetic tradition in the Hebrew and Christian scriptures to suggest implications for psychotherapists who wish to understand and intervene with patients in more hermeneutically grounded ways. It begins with a brief biographical contextualization of Walter Brueggemann’s work as an Old Testament scholar followed by an extrapolation of key themes in his work. These are (1) the ubiquity of empire, (2) the critical dismantling of empire through grief, and (3) the penetration of despair through the resuscitation of imagination that sees a future otherwise than empire. The article then moves to implications for a hermeneutically sensitive psychotherapy that makes use of the prophetic tradition to fashion a “prophetic sensibility.” Finally, the clinical practice of a prophetic sensibility is demonstrated through an examination of relevant case material.

Otherwise than Empire: Psychotherapeutic Implications of Brueggemann’s Prophetic Imagination

This article draws on theologian Walter Brueggemann’s analysis of the prophetic tradition in the Hebrew and Christian scriptures to suggest implications for psychotherapists who wish to understand and intervene with patients in more hermeneutically grounded ways. It begins with a brief biographical contextualization of Walter Brueggemann’s work as an Old Testament scholar followed by an extrapolation of key themes in his work. These are (1) the ubiquity of empire, (2) the critical dismantling of empire through grief, and (3) the penetration of despair through the resuscitation of imagination that sees a future otherwise than empire. The article then moves to implications for a hermeneutically sensitive psychotherapy that makes use of the prophetic tradition to fashion a “prophetic sensibility.” Finally, the clinical practice of a prophetic sensibility is demonstrated through an examination of relevant case material.

An Islamic Form of Logotherapy in the Treatment of Depression, Anxiety and Stress Symptoms in University Students in Iran

Previous research demonstrated that spiritually sensitive psychotherapy is an effective treatment for clients with depression or anxiety, with outcomes equivalent to secular control interventions. The goal of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of spiritually sensitive logotherapy intervention in the treatment of depression, anxiety, and stress symptoms in university students in Iran. Sixty students with elevated depression symptoms (Beck Depression Inventory II, BDI-II, 22 or greater) were randomly assigned to either a twelve-session group logotherapy programme or a control group. Results showed that spiritually sensitive logotherapy significantly reduced depression, anxiety, and stress, and significantly more so than in the control group (e.g. interaction effect for BDI-II: F = 56.8, p < 0.001, with a large effect size).

Correlates of Domestic Violence Victimization Among North Korean Refugee Women in South Korea.

Although many North Korean (NK) refugee women are victims of domestic violence (DV) in North Korea, face sexual exploitation during migration, and remain at risk of DV while adapting to life in South Korea, there is no empirical evidence about risk factors for DV in this population. To fill this gap, this study examined whether gender role beliefs, child abuse history, and sociocultural adaptation were associated with past-year physical, emotional, sexual, and economic abuse, and whether they were associated with multiple forms of abuse. We also explored whether these associations were similar or different across different types of DV among NK refugee women. A sample of 180 ever-married NK refugee women in South Korea from the 2010 National Survey on Family Violence was used for analysis. Physical abuse was associated with more traditional gender role beliefs; emotional abuse and multiple forms of abuse were associated with lower levels of sociocultural adaptation; and sexual and economic abuse were associated with an increased likelihood of childhood abuse and poor sociocultural adaptation. Our study findings underscore the importance of assisting NK refugee women to be better adapted to the new culture in a practical way, because better sociocultural adaptation might protect them from experiencing various types of abuse. At the same time, findings of this study highlight the need for empowering NK refugee women who report physical abuse by educating their rights and altering their traditional beliefs of gender roles, and screening of childhood abuse and providing culturally sensitive psychotherapy to those who report sexual or economic abuse. Moreover, we suggest future studies to examine correlates of different forms of abuse separately because they can inform culturally tailored interventions for abused NK refugee women. To prevent further victimization, educational programs should be provided to NK refugee women at an early stage of resettlement in South Korea.

Contextual emotion regulation therapy: a developmentally based intervention for pediatric depression.

For this special issue about child and adolescent depression, the authors were asked to describe contextual emotion regulation therapy as an example of a developmentally informed psychosocial intervention. The article begins with the authors' definition of the elements that should comprise such an intervention. A succinct summary of this contextual emotion regulation therapy is then provided, including its explanatory paradigm of depression, followed by an exposition of how it addresses the various definitional criteria of a developmentally informed intervention. The article concludes with a brief overview of the challenges of implementing a developmentally sensitive psychotherapy for depressed children and adolescents.

Editorial

Editorial

Spirituality in Clinical Practice

&lt;P&gt;In August 2000, &lt;cite&gt;Psychiatric Annals&lt;/cite&gt; published a special issue entitled “Spirituality and Clinical Practice”, which I had the pleasure of editing. In the late 1990s, many adults were searching for ways to incorporate spirituality in their daily lives. This resulted in patients requesting or expecting psychiatrists and other clinicians to incorporate the spiritual dimension in psychotherapy and other psychiatric treatments and raised many questions for clinicians. Among them were: Do mental health professionals recognize and respond to these patient requests? Are clinicians adequately trained to respond to these requests? How specifically do they assess and provide interventions?&lt;/P&gt; &lt;H4&gt;ABOUT THE GUEST EDITOR&lt;/H4&gt; &lt;P&gt;Len Sperry, MD, PhD, is professor and coordinator of the doctoral program in counseling at Florida Atlantic University and clinical professor of psychiatry at the Medical College of Wisconsin, where he had been a tenured professor and vice chair. He is board-certified in psychiatry, preventive medicine, and clinical psychology and is a distinguished fellow of the American Psychiatric Association and a fellow of the American College of Preventive Medicine. He was a member of the GAP Committee on Psychiatry and Religion and is a fellow of the Division of Psychology and Religion of the American Psychological Association.&lt;/P&gt; &lt;P&gt;Among his 50 published books and 300 articles are 75 articles and five books on spirituality and the spiritual dimensions of clinical practice. He is a member of eight editorial boards, has practiced spiritually sensitive psychotherapy for more than 30 years, and consults with organizations on professional, ethical, and spirituality issues.&lt;/P&gt; &lt;P&gt;Besides spirituality, his research interests include the treatment of personality disorders, the integration of psychotherapy and psychopharmacology, clinical outcomes research, executive coaching, and organizational psychiatry. He is the recipient of two lifetime achievement awards, the Harry Levinson Award from the American Psychological Association and the Alan McLean, MD, Award from the Academy of Organizational and Occupational Psychiatry.&lt;/P&gt;

The Cultural Context and the Psychotherapeutic Process: Toward a Culturally Sensitive Psychotherapy.

The Cultural Context and the Psychotherapeutic Process: Toward a Culturally Sensitive Psychotherapy.

The Plural World of Culturally Sensitive Psychotherapy: A Response to Castro-Blanco's (2005) Comments.

The Plural World of Culturally Sensitive Psychotherapy: A Response to Castro-Blanco's (2005) Comments.

Psychogenic Seizures in an Espiritismo Context: The Role of Culturally Sensitive Psychotherapy.

A case of a Puerto Rican woman with a complex clinical presentation of psychogenic seizures (PS) is discussed to illustrate how cultural practices and beliefs transform such dissociative somatoform disorders. In this case, the PS revolved around some deeply ingrained spiritist beliefs and possession experiences, which permitted the externalization of the client’s guilt feelings for not having averted the suicide of her grandmother. It also shows how a psychotherapist can integrate the client’s cultural beliefs in spiritism (or espiritismo) with some well-known traditional therapeutic techniques. Also, it illustrates the benefits of using a cultural conceptualization that takes into account the client’s religious attribution of her illness and describes how the effectiveness of traditional therapeutic modalities can be enhanced by reframing them according to the phenomenological framework of the client.

Religiously sensitive rational emotive behavior therapy: Elegant solutions and ethical risks.

Rational emotive behavior therapy (REBT) can be an elegant treatment modality for explicitly religious clients. This is true in spite of the traditional antireligious stance of Albert Ellis. In this article, the authors summarize the evolution of Ellis's views on religion and mental health, consider potential ethical dilemmas caused by utilizing REBT with religious clients, and recommend strategies for reducing violation of ethical and specialty guidelines in work with religious clients. The authors conclude by proposing a general model for religiously sensitive psychotherapy, which may serve to undergird theorizing and research on the application of REBT and other treatment approaches to religious clients.

Loving Across Race and Class Divides:

Similar to their heterosexual counterparts, lesbians are increasingly meeting and falling in love with women very different than themselves -- differences which include race and class and thus, cultural background. Yet, there are distinct challenges which confront the interracial lesbian couple such as homophobia, racism, and limited social support from family and friends as illustrated through the narratives of two composite couples. A race, class, and culture sensitive psychotherapy is recommended. This enables clinicians to articulate perspectives which reframe and ''unpersonalize'' power struggles and disclose cultural differences in values and meanings as well as affirm those special joys and rewards when attraction and intimacy are joined to cultural difference.

Storytelling through pictures: Culturally sensitive psychotherapy for Hispanic children and adolescents

Examined treatment effects with Hispanic children and adolescents using a culturally sensitive storytelling intervention. Inner-city 9- 13-year-olds (N = 90) were screened for symptomatc7bgy by structured interview, randomly assigned to an 8-week intervention or attention-control group, and pre- and posttested with standardized instruments measuring anxiety, depression, and phobic symptomatology and school conduct. No treatment differences in depression were found. Differences in favor of storytelling were found on the remaining outcomes, most consistently among 11- to 13-year-olds. Results are discussed in t e r n of programmatic research on culturally sensitive modalities for specific age groups and in support of the broader role of narrative processes in psychotherapy.

Issues in psychotherapy with lesbians and gay men: A survey of psychologists.

In 1984, a task force of the American Psychological Association (APA) Committee on Lesbian and Gay Concerns was charged with investigating bias in psychotherapy with lesbians and gay men. The task force surveyed a large and diverse sample of psychologists to elicit information about specific instances of respondent-defined biased and sensitive psychotherapy practice. Open-ended responses were used to separately identify major themes of biased and sensitive practice and to illustrate each with concrete examples. Results suggest that psychologists vary widely in their adherence to a standard of unbiased practice with gay men and lesbians. To bring individual practice into accord with APA policy will require continued and expanded efforts to educate practitioners about sexual orientation.

Culturally sensitive psychotherapy for Puerto Rican children and adolescents: A program of treatment outcome research.

Recognition of cultural distance between Hispanic clients and non-Hispanic therapists has prompted efforts to introduce culture into therapy, but there is little evidence that such efforts influence treatment outcomes. This article evaluates treatment outcomes from a program of research on modeling therapy with Puerto Ricans, targeting anxiety symptoms, acting-out behavior, and self-concept problems. Evaluation of outcomes confirmed the impact of culturally sensitive modeling therapy on anxiety symptoms and other selected target behaviors, but negative treatment effects also were evident. Results suggest that new approaches to psychotherapy for special populations, such as Hispanic children and adolescents, should be buttressed by programmatic research oriented toward the comparative evaluation of treatment outcomes and should be attuned to therapeutic processes mediating between culture and outcome.

Culturally sensitive psychotherapy for Puerto Rican children and adolescents: A program of treatment outcome research.

Culturally sensitive psychotherapy for Puerto Rican children and adolescents: A program of treatment outcome research.