Practice research networks may be one way of advancing knowledge translation and exchange (KTE) in psychotherapy. In this study, we document this process by first asking clinicians what they want from psychotherapy research. Eighty-two psychotherapists in 10 focus groups identified and discussed psychotherapy research topics relevant to their practices. An analysis of these discussions led to the development of 41 survey items. In an online survey, 1,019 participants, mostly practicing clinicians, rated the importance to their clinical work of these 41 psychotherapy research topics. Ratings were reduced using a principal components analysis in which 9 psychotherapy research themes emerged, accounting for 60.66% of the variance. Two postsurvey focus groups of clinicians (N = 22) aided in interpreting the findings. The ranking of research themes from most to least important were-Therapeutic Relationship/Mechanisms of Change, Therapist Factors, Training and Professional Development, Client Factors, Barriers and Stigma, Technology and Adjunctive Interventions, Progress Monitoring, Matching Clients to Therapist or Therapy, and Treatment Manuals. Few differences were noted in rankings based on participant age or primary therapeutic orientation. Postsurvey focus group participants were not surprised by the top-rated items, as they were considered most proximal and relevant to therapists and their work with clients during therapy sessions. Lower ranked items may be perceived as externally imposed agendas on the therapist and therapy. We discuss practice research networks as a means of creating new collaborations consistent with KTE goals. Findings of this study can help to direct practitioner-researcher collaborations.

Despite a large body of research indicating the effectiveness of evidence-based psychotherapies and therapeutic processes, there remains a practice-research divide. Clinicians do not consistently use evidence to inform their treatments, and researchers do not often rely on clinicians' knowledge to inform their research. This divide is partly due to identifiable barriers. Practice research networks in psychotherapy may be 1 means of bridging the practice-research gap. In this article we use theory of planned behaviour (TPB; Ajzen, 1991) to help to understand the barriers experienced by clinicians in using psychotherapy research. We also evaluated the TPB model by an empirical study of 68 clinicians who attended a conference on practice research networks and who completed a TPB questionnaire prior to the conference. Clinician attitudes toward psychotherapy research, the social norms they experience within their practice settings, and their perceived behavioural control over implementing research were each uniquely and significantly related to intention to use psychotherapy research to inform practice. Intentions were correlated with behaviour change in health professionals. We conclude by describing the development of the Psychotherapy Practice-Research Network (PPRNet) as a unique collaborative approach to bringing clinicians and researchers together to diminish barriers by improving attitudes, social norms, and perceived behavioural control among clinicians and researchers. The PPRNet will help to inform clinical practice and generate psychotherapy research that is more meaningful to clinicians and more practically applicable.

The findings indicated that a second step of a stepped care approach did not significantly reduce binge-eating symptoms beyond the effects of USH alone. The study provided some evidence for the second step potentially to reduce factors known to maintain binge eating in the long run, such as attachment avoidance and interpersonal problems.

The field of psychodynamic psychotherapy would benefit from a comprehensive model that integrates its constructs with neurobiology. Research on the autonomic nervous system activity during the psychotherapeutic process is necessary because it is key in affective experiences and defensive behavior. The current case study reports physiological findings on heart rate dynamics in a patient suffering from panic disorder during two therapeutic sessions in which we used Davanloo's Intensive Short-term Dynamic Psychotherapy. We looked at various metrics of heart rate variability during the therapeutic process leading to breakthrough of unconscious feelings. The measurements included sympathetic and parasympathetic indices, vagal tone, and their responses. Our results suggest that the sympathetic system activates during defensive responses associated with anxiety and during the passage of unconscious-aggressive impulses. Following the experience of unconscious guilt, there is an increased vagal tone corresponding to the phase of reunification with the attachment figure. Findings are discussed integrating developmental neurobiology and clinical psychodynamics.