What is Psychotherapeutic Research? (Paperback)

This book marks an important watershed in the development of psychotherapy. A lack of relative knowledge of research in psychotherapy, a history of apparent defensiveness in being evaluated, and a reluctance to work with universities has developed in psychotherapy, all of which threaten it with further marginalization. This book provides examples of how psychotherapeutic research and the abilities to carry it out can help the practicing psychotherapist. The papers represent a cross-section of current research thinking from within the UKCP, North America, and Continental Europe. It is hoped that these papers presented will inspire current practitioners and those in training to develop themselves, and hence their practice, through research.The book has been divided into five sections, with each section focusing on a different area of the research endeavor. Section One outlines exactly what is meant by psychotherapeutic research and gives an overview of the features of different research methods. Section Two provides introductions to quantitative and qualitative methods, rather than focusing on particular research findings. It also shows how postmodern feminist methodology can be used to examine the influences of therapists' sexuality and contains a report into researching sensitive and distressing topics. Section Three focuses on research into the process of psychotherapy. It investigates such topics as brief focused gestalt therapy, discourse analysis, and group cohesion using text- and conversation-analysis. Section Four concentrates on research into the outcomes of psychotherapy, including the utility of a recently developed outcome measurement scale, the need for an aetiological framework, and the history of the movement towards evidence-based practice. The final section investigates therapeutic context with regard to the personal preferences of the therapist. It shows how therapists' thinking styles differ and how these differences illuminate relationship between personal styles and philosophical beliefs.This book will prove useful for students and practitioners of psychotherapy, as well as those more traditionally engaged in psychotherapeutic research. Contributors: Talal Al Rubaie, Andrew Arthur, Mark Aveline, Thaddeus Birchard, Julia Buckroyd, Jocelyn Catty, Julia Cayne, Deborah Dobson, Keith Dobson, Richard Evans, Nick Gilbert, Dennis Greenwood, Andrew Gumley, Tirril Harris, Colleen Heenan, Georgia Lepper, Del Loewenthal, Martin Milton, Jayne Redmond, Theresa Rose, Julie Ryden, Christine Stevens, Maureen Taylor, Finn Tschudi, and David Winter.