Interpersonal process and outcome in variants of cognitive–behavioral psychotherapy

Abstract

Early sessions from three variants of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) were examined to replicate work done in psychodynamic-interpersonal treatments linking interpersonal process to outcome (W. P. Henry, T. E. Schacht, & H. H. Strupp, 1986, 1990). Cases were available from a component study of CBT for generalized anxiety disorder (T. D. Borkovec, M. G. Newman, A. L. Pincus, & R. Lytle, 2002) and were selected to form good and poor outcome groups maintained through a 1-year follow-up. A third group was also examined that had initial positive outcomes and marked decline by follow-up (n = 8 for each). Structural analysis of social behavior (SASB) was used to identify interpersonal behaviors. Contrary to the authors' expectation, SASB variables were not strong predictors of outcome, and lower levels of interpersonal hostility were found than was the case in previous work. Findings are discussed in light of differences observed between treatment variants and the role that manuals may have in standardizing some aspects of the therapeutic relationship.

Study of the Socratic method during cognitive restructuring

“…If we elaborate a consistent model of the systematic application of the Socratic method, and if therapists know how and why the method works, benefi ts may be expected both in the application of the method in the hands of nonexpert psychologists and in the work of experts who will be able to correct possible errors and may be more effective in varying their therapeutic strategies (c.f. Critchfi eld, Henry, Castonguay, & Borkovec, 2007).…”

From Submission to Autonomy: Approaching Independent Decision Making. A Single–case Study in a Randomized, Controlled Study of Long–term Effects of Dynamic Psychotherapy

“…Evidence in clinical empirical research suggests that the degree of friendly complementarity and little degree of antithetic turns of talk in the communication between the therapist and the patient enhance the outcome after psychotherapy (Henry et al, 1986;Critchfield et al, 2007;Lippe et al, 2008). The therapist-patient process in this good outcome therapy showed friendly interactions characterized by a high level of complementarity and few antithetic turns of talk between the therapist and the patient.…”

Therapist affirmation and the process and outcome of psychotherapy: Two sequential analytic studies

“…The dyads included in this study were selected for even distribution across types of treatment (Critchfield, 1997). Because moment-to-moment process was of primary interest, the conditions themselves were not included as factors in this design.…”

“…SASB (see Figure 1) was used to code therapist and patient process as part of an earlier study conducted with this sample (Critchfield, 1997). Mean interrater agreement on SASB codes, assessed by weighted (Cohen, 1968), was .76.…”