Christians engaged in the fields of psychology, psychotherapy and counseling are living in a unique moment. Over the last couple decades, these fields have grown more and more open to religious belief and religion-accommodative therapies. At the same time, Christian counselors and psychotherapists encounter pressure (for example, from insurance companies) to demonstrate that their accommodative therapies are as beneficial as secular therapies. This raises the need for evidence to support Christian practices and treatments. This essay by Keith J. Edwards and Edward B. Davis was originally published as chapter 7 in the book Evidence-Based Practices for Christian Counseling and Psychotherapy, edited by Everett L. Worthington Jr., Eric L. Johnson, Joshua N. Hook and Jamie D. Aten. Edwards and Davis provide an overview of theory and research supporting approaches to psychotherapy that are based in psychodynamic theory and practice, particularly exploring emotion and attachment within relationships with significant adults and with God. Since people develop their sense of self in relationships, those relationships can become the curative focus in psychotherapy. Although no Christian-accomodative RCTs exist at this point, the general approach is strongy supported by secular research. The chapter is particularly strong in practical advice regarding conducting this type of psychotherapy. Like the other essays in the full-length volume, Edwards's andn Davis's essay contributes to a field of inquiry that, while still in its infancy, promises to have enormous implications for future work in Christian counseling and psychotherapy.

Generations of clinicians have valued Principles of Psychotherapy for its breadth of coverage and accessibility and the author's ability to gather many elements into a unified presentation. The Third Edition presents the conceptual and empirical foundations of evidence-based practice perspectives of psychodynamic theory. It also offers case examples illustrating what a therapist might say and do in various circumstances. In addition, it includes discussion of broader psychodynamic perspectives on short-term therapy. Mental health professionals will benefit from the revised edition s inclusion of empirically based guidelines for conducting effective psychotherapy.

Are Christian treatments as effective as secular treatments? What is the evidence to support its success? Christians engaged in the fields of psychology, psychotherapy and counseling are living in a unique moment. Over the last couple decades, these fields have grown more and more open to religious belief and religion-accommodative therapies. At the same time, Christian counselors and psychotherapists encounter pressure (for example, from insurance companies) to demonstrate that their accommodative therapies are as beneficial as secular therapies. This raises the need for evidence to support Christian practices and treatments. The essays gathered in this volume explore evidence-based Christian treatments, practices, factors and principles. The authors mine the relevant research and literature to update practicing psychotherapists, clinical researchers, students, teachers and educated laypersons about the efficacy of certain Christian-accommodative therapies. Topics covered in the book include: devotional meditation cognitive-behavior therapy psychodynamic and process-experiential therapies couples, marriage and family therapy group intervention The book concludes with a review of the evidence for the various treatments discussed in the chapters, a guide for conducting clinical trials that is essential reading for current or aspiring researchers, and reflections by the editors about the future of evidence-based Christian practices. As the editors say, "more research is necessary." To that end, this volume is a major contribution to a field of inquiry that, while still in its infancy, promises to have enormous implications for future work in Christian counseling and psychotherapy. Christian Association for Psychological Studies (CAPS) Books explore how Christianity relates to mental health and behavioral sciences including psychology, counseling, social work, and marriage and family therapy in order to equip Christian clinicians to support the well-being of their clients.

Many students enter graduate programs with little or no experience of psychodynamic psychotherapy. Efforts to impart clinical skills have often been less than systematic and beginning psychotherapists have not always been encouraged to think about what they are doing and why they are doing it from a scientific standpoint. Thoughtfully building on current debates over efficacy and effectiveness, this book outlines a promising approach to training in which the work of therapy is divided into tasks patterned after Luborsky's influential delineation of "curative factors"--significant developments in the course of the therapy that are crucial for effective change. Each task step for the therapist-cognitive, behavioral, affective, or a combination--is analyzed, taught separately, and then put in sequence with the other task steps. Curative factors have been extensively studied in recent years and the approach rests on a solid empirical base. In a climate of increased accountability, clinicians must demonstrate that they are responding to providers' requests to conduct evidence-based practices. Core Processes in Brief Psychodynamic Psychotherapy will be an invaluable resource not only for students and trainees, but for established therapists who find themselves asked to justify their work.

The importance of conducting empirical research for the future of psychodynamics is presented in this excellent new volume. In Handbook of Evidence Based Psychodynamic Psychotherapy: Bridging the Gap Between Science and Practice, the editors provide evidence that supports this type of research for two primary reasons. The first reason concerns the current marginalization of psychodynamic work within the mental health field. Sound empirical research has the potential to affirm the important role that psychodynamic theory and treatment have in modern psychiatry and psychology. The second reason that research is crucial to the future of psychodynamic work concerns the role that systematic empirical investigations can have in developing and refining effective approaches to a variety of clinical problems. Empirical research functions as a check on subjectivity and theoretical alliances in on-going attempts to determine the approaches most helpful in working with patients clinically. Handbook of Evidence Based Psychodynamic Psychotherapy: Bridging the Gap Between Science and Practice brings together a panel of distinguished clinician-researchers who have been publishing their findings for decades. This important new book provides compelling evidence that psychodynamic psychotherapy is an effective treatment for many common psychological problems.

Presenting a pragmatic, evidence-based approach to conducting psychodynamic therapy, this engaging guide is firmly grounded in contemporary clinical practice and research. The book reflects an openness to new influences on dynamic technique, such as cognitive-behavioral therapy and positive psychology. It offers a fresh understanding of the most common problems for which patients seek help -- depression, obsessionality, low self-esteem, fear of abandonment, panic, and trauma -- and shows how to organize and deliver effective psychodynamic interventions. Extensive case material illustrates each stage of therapy, from engagement to termination. Special topics include ways to integrate individual treatment with psychopharmacology and with couple or family work.

Foundations of Counseling and Psychotherapy provides an overview of the most prevalent theories of counseling within the context of a scientific model that is both practical and up-to-date. Authors David Sue and Diane Sue provide you with the best practice strategies for working effectively with your clients using an approach that recognizes and utilizes each client’s unique strengths, values, belief systems, and environment to effect positive change. Numerous case studies, self-assessment, and critical thinking examples are included.