Society for the Advancement of Psychotherapy

Psychotherapy Process

Explore the dynamics and stages of the psychotherapy process, from the initial client assessment to the therapeutic interventions that promote healing. This section provides insights into the complexities of therapeutic relationships and strategies to enhance treatment effectiveness.

254 articles found

Empirically-Derived, Personal Theory of Therapeutic Change
Bridging Practice & Research+1 more

Empirically-Derived, Personal Theory of Therapeutic Change

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: A Framework for Change Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a prevalent and efficacious psychotherapeutic approach that emphasizes the interrelationships among thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. Building on the fundamental ideas of cognitive behavior therapy, committing to customizing therapeutic approaches to meet the unique needs of every client is essential. Clients are more likely […]

Ray Lynn Kaidbay, MSc, DTLLP

Ray Lynn Kaidbay, MSc, DTLLP

March 17, 2025

Pregnancy and Eating Disorders Among Cisgender Women
Bridging Practice & Research+2 more

Pregnancy and Eating Disorders Among Cisgender Women

General Mental Health, Pregnancy, and Cisgender Women One in five adults are impacted by mental health concerns in the United States. There is nearly a 12% discrepancy between prevalence of mental health concerns in men (40%) and women (51.7%; National Alliance on Mental Illness, 2023). This divergence begins as young as puberty, where the ratio […]

Zoe Ross-Nash, PsyD + 1 more

Zoe Ross-Nash, PsyD + 1 more

March 3, 2025

Abuse and Burnout in Health Profession Workplace Environments
Assessment & Treatment+2 more

Abuse and Burnout in Health Profession Workplace Environments

The concept of a work environment, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic, has shifted immensely. Work environment encompasses the system, people, responsibilities, salary, location, structure, and conditions where one completes expected tasks. Unsurprisingly, one’s work environment has a significant impact on productivity and overall well-being. It is estimated that 80% of difficulties regarding employee productivity are […]

Zoe Ross-Nash, PsyD + 1 more

Zoe Ross-Nash, PsyD + 1 more

February 9, 2025

Should the Mental Health of Psychotherapists Be One of the Transtheoretical Principles of Change?
Bridging Practice & Research+2 more

Should the Mental Health of Psychotherapists Be One of the Transtheoretical Principles of Change?

Often, psychotherapy researchers find that their contributions to psychotherapy get lost in the discussions of complex methodological issues that appear far removed from the real-life work of psychotherapists. Consequently, few psychotherapists regularly read research-based studies, and researchers communicate primarily with each other and less with psychotherapists. Fortunately, the pioneering work of Castonguay et al. (2019) […]

Samuel Knapp, Ed.D., ABPP + 2 more

Samuel Knapp, Ed.D., ABPP + 2 more

February 9, 2025

Best Practices in Psychedelic-Assisted Group Psychotherapy
Assessment & Treatment+2 more

Best Practices in Psychedelic-Assisted Group Psychotherapy

Psychedelic-assisted group psychotherapy (PAGP) is an emerging therapeutic approach that harnesses the neurophysiological effects of psychedelic substances within a group setting to address various mental health conditions, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), substance-use disorders, major depressive disorder, and anxiety disorders. Rooted in centuries-old indigenous practices where they were used as sacred tools for healing, community […]

Gabriella Rodriguez, B.A. + 1 more

Gabriella Rodriguez, B.A. + 1 more

February 5, 2025

Associations Between Generalized Shame and Emotional Processing Difficulties Among Individuals Seeking Mental Health Care
Assessment & Treatment+2 more

Associations Between Generalized Shame and Emotional Processing Difficulties Among Individuals Seeking Mental Health Care

Clinicians interested in supporting individuals with emotional processing difficulties play a critical role in fostering wellbeing, as emotional experiences deeply influence cognitive, behavioral, and social functioning. For those in psychotherapy, understanding the mechanisms of emotional processing is essential as it involves integrating unpleasant or disturbing emotions to maintain focus, adapt to varying experiences, and uphold […]

Alicia Spidel, PhD + 1 more

Alicia Spidel, PhD + 1 more

January 20, 2025

Making Space for Spirituality While Treating Substance Use Disorders
Assessment & Treatment+2 more

Making Space for Spirituality While Treating Substance Use Disorders

As a graduate student new to addiction treatment, I have felt a growing curiosity about the degree to which spirituality is brought into psychotherapy. I attend a private religious university, thus my first therapy patients routinely spoke of God, recited scripture, or wrestled with interpretations of morality. This simultaneously became a sublime and perilous feature […]

Aileen Rands, MS

Aileen Rands, MS

January 4, 2025

Shame and Other Self-Devaluing Schemas in Suicidal Persons
Assessment & Treatment+2 more

Shame and Other Self-Devaluing Schemas in Suicidal Persons

Those who treat suicidal patients are often startled by the depth and intensity of the anger patients express toward themselves. When asked to list their reasons for wanting to die, many respondents listed negative self-appraisals, such as “I’m worthless, “I’m a piece of crap,” or “I don’t deserve to live” (Madsen & Harris, 2021, p. […]

Samuel Knapp, Ed.D., ABPP

Samuel Knapp, Ed.D., ABPP

December 18, 2024

Treatment of Suicidality in Adolescents with a History of Concussions
Assessment & Treatment+2 more

Treatment of Suicidality in Adolescents with a History of Concussions

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), suicide is the third leading cause of death among adolescents 15-19 years of age (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2024a). A concussion or mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) is a risk factor for suicide in adolescents as this type of injury can increase depressive […]

Kayela Malewitz, BA + 1 more

Kayela Malewitz, BA + 1 more

December 18, 2024

Counseling Baby Reindeer: Insight into Male Stalking Victimization and Guidance for Treatment
Bridging Practice & Research+2 more

Counseling Baby Reindeer: Insight into Male Stalking Victimization and Guidance for Treatment

In early 2024, the world was captivated by the release of the miniseries Baby Reindeer (De Greef et al., 2024). Richard Gadd’s dramatization of his real-life experience with a female stalker. The series follows a fictionalized version of Gadd (Donny Dunn), a struggling comedian and local bartender in England who encounters a lonely woman named […]

Emma N. Jalili, MA + 1 more

Emma N. Jalili, MA + 1 more

December 18, 2024

Eating Disorder Symptom Presentation Across Different Athletes
Bridging Practice & Research+2 more

Eating Disorder Symptom Presentation Across Different Athletes

While eating disorders are prevalent across all communities, eating disorders in athletes have an even higher occurrence rate than the general population. Approximately 19% of athletes endorse eating disorder pathology, while it occurs in about 9% of the general population (Ghazzawi, et al., 2024; Pike, 2024).  Some research indicates these numbers are even higher, with […]

Maria Ortiz, MS, LMHC, CEDS + 1 more

Maria Ortiz, MS, LMHC, CEDS + 1 more

December 11, 2024

Narcissistic Personality Disorder Across Types of Therapy: Individual, Couple, and Group
Assessment & Treatment+2 more

Narcissistic Personality Disorder Across Types of Therapy: Individual, Couple, and Group

Why is there so much talk about narcissism lately? Is it a trend, baseless hysteria, or even a problem at all? Narcissism itself is a singular personality trait; it can be protective and even beneficial, especially in Western society (Ronningstam, 2005). This may be due to the individualistic virtues and increased achievement-dependent self-esteem rates in […]

Bethany Palmer, MSW, SWLC

Bethany Palmer, MSW, SWLC

December 5, 2024