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This article discusses directive psychotherapy. The purpose of, this paper is to discuss the nature, indications and contraindications of methods of therapy involving pressure or coercion. Pressure is defined as the bringing to bear upon the client of stimulation tending to direct action toward specific goals. Coercion involves restraint or regulation by force, usually by law or authority, compelling or constraining the! client to comply with directions. Pressure will usually involve influences which leave ultimate responsibility for conformance up to the client himself, while coercion requires mandatory conformance.

Objectives. This study elaborates the assimilation model's account of client processes at an early stage (Level 1). This model describes therapeutic change as a gradual assimilation of problematic experiences, or voices, into the client's personality. The Assimilation of Problematic Experiences Scale (APES; Stiles et al., 1991) measures client's increasing ability to recognize, accept and utilize these previously avoided voices. Design and methodology. Two researchers rated session excerpts from two psychotherapy cases, where the 'problematic voice' (PV) was initially unassimilated. Passages rated at APES Level 1, along with their verbal assimilation descriptions, were later scrutinized for change processes. Voice dynamics within each passage were detailed and reviewed, to hypothesize substage processes representing movement. Both procedures involved a convergence process: raters first independently analysed, then shared their findings over successive rounds. Conclusions. Across cases, shifts in the quality of negative affect were evident. Anxiety increased throughout this stage, as clients began to sustain exposure to intrusive problematic experiences. Later, Level 1 substages also showed an increase in conscious apperception of dominant voice characteristics including its resistance to experiencing PVs. Together, these relatively subtle changes indicated clients' increasing ability to familiarize themselves with PV qualities and recognize their historic defences against them, prior to identifying and accepting them as part of their personalities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A given type of psychotherapy (e.g., psychodynamic) is associated with a set of specific change techniques (e.g., interpreting defenses, identifying relationship themes). Different change techniques can be conceived of as influencing different parts of personality (e.g., interpreting defense increases conscious awareness). An integrated model of personality is presented. Then, change techniques from different theoretical perspectives are assigned by judges to areas of personality the techniques are believed to influence. The results suggest that specific change techniques can be reliably sorted into the areas of personality. Thinking across theoretical perspectives leads to important new opportunities for assessment, therapy outcome research, and communication with patients concerning personality change. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Psychol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article focuses on neurotic anxiety, pronoun usage and stress. From a Gestalt Therapy viewpoint, personality may, in one sense, be defined usefully as a structure of speech habits, personality adjustment or maladjustment therefore is expected to emerge in the speech habits of individuals. The particular relevance of personal pronouns to psychological adjustment or maladjustment is that their use, according to Gestalt Therapy theory, is an indicator of the psychological distance taken from one's own feelings, actions, attitudes, motivations, power, etc.

A variable color-coding system has been added to the standard family genogram. Characteristics or issues associated with a particular presenting problem or for a particular family are arbitrarily assigned a color. The family is then asked to mark each family member with the colors that represent characteristics that fit. Advantages of the color-coding are presented, followed by clinical examples of the color-coding as an assessment tool and as a family task during treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article cites a study that evaluates the nature of therapeutic change by using correlation and factor analysis of several measures of change which reflected different levels and areas of personality functioning. This study used the method to examine the nature of change in successfully treated adolescent delinquent boys. The success of the psychotherapeutic program for adolescent delinquent boys was shown by significant changes in all three areas investigated--overt behavior, personality attitudes, and achievement test performance. In evaluating personality attitudes, three areas in which the boys were believed to have special problems were sampled--attitude toward authority, control of aggression, and self image.