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The authors examined the associations between acculturation, supervisors' multicultural competence, and clinicians' self-efficacy in a sample of 153 immigrant therapists currently practicing in the United States. Participants completed a demographic questionnaire and 3 additional questionnaires that examined their levels of acculturation, perceived supervisors' multicultural competence, and clinical self-efficacy. Results suggested that perceived prejudice, not level of acculturation, was significantly associated with foreign-born therapists' clinical self-efficacy. Perceived supervisors' multicultural competence was significantly associated with therapists' clinical self-efficacy. Recommendations for supervisors working with foreign-born therapists are provided.

Postmodern and evidence-based practice (EBP) are compared and contrasted with the primary aim of adapting evidence-based practice with a more flexible epistemological lens. We begin by reviewing the epistemological underpinnings of postmodern and EBP within the field of marriage and family therapy (MFT). We next discuss how these contrasting philosophies inform therapists' traits and practice in the context of translational research and practice-based evidence. Finally, we point toward some promising directions for a flexible adaptation of evidence-based practice in which both modern and postmodern clinicians can practice, and ways to incorporate some of these more flexible principles into the clinical training of MFT students.

We examined how children's, parents', and observers' perceptions of the marital relationship are linked with children's adjustment. Children's perceptions of the marital relationship were assessed using a new measure, the Interparental Relationship Interview for Children (IRIC). In the first phase of the study, 63 preschoolers, 63 mothers, and 56 fathers completed questionnaires assessing the interparental relationship. Teachers assessed the children's adjustment. In the second phase, 39 of the couples enacted a typical conflictual marital interaction. Findings established the reliability and validity of the IRIC and revealed that the IRIC uniquely contributes to the prediction of children's externalizing and internalizing behavior problems. Taken together, the different perspectives of the marital relationship explained 36% of the variance in children's externalizing behavior problems. These results suggest the promise of the IRIC and demonstrate the unique contribution of the young child's perspective.

This qualitative focus group study describes posttraumatic growth experiences of African American adolescents currently coping with parental breast cancer. Twelve adolescents participated in three focus groups assessing their experiences with [...]

The Person-of-the-Therapist Training (POTT) has grown and been refined, from its origins in the 1980s to its more formal articulation and implementation in recent years. After this process of development, it makes sense to look at the current state of this training model, and ponder about the directions in which POTT can continue to grow. In this paper, we take a look at the different ways POTT is currently being implemented in various settings and modalities, a testament to the versatility of POTT’s philosophy and methods. We also present a summary of the available research on POTT’s effects on the clinical and personal development of trainees. We conclude this paper by offering suggestions for POTT’s growth and expansion, including recommendations for ways in which trainers, students, clinicians and supervisors who are interested in this model can remain connected, and exchange ideas and experiences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Person-of-the-Therapist Training (POTT) model has been developing and evolving since the late seventies. The current study explored the relationship between the personal self-of-the-therapist and the professional self-of-the-therapist within the POTT. A directed content analysis of the 18 trainees’ final reflection papers at the end of a 9-month POTT was conducted. Findings suggest that even though the training’s goal is improving trainees’ ability to use their selves in therapy, changes in the therapist’s self appear to expand to other areas in the therapist’s life. Thus, the road to becoming a more effective therapist goes through personal changes, specifically self-awareness and the acceptance of one’s own struggles and imperfections. Implications for training and future research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

As we recognize how taxing our profession can be, therapist's self-care has become a salient topic in mental health. However, we are still discerning how to promote self-care in our practice and in training. In this paper, we present a study on the personal gains that MFT students experienced after participating in the Person-of-the-Therapist Training (POTT). We propose that the reported changes (better understanding of self, change to self, relational changes, and change as a process) constitute improvements in the trainees' well-being, and can therefore be considered self-caring behaviors and practices. We state that models like POTT, that focus on embracing our vulnerability, can help clinicians be more caring toward ourselves. We conclude this paper by presenting clinical and training recommendations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a scarcity of research exploring the experiences of foreign travelers exposed to natural disasters while abroad. This qualitative study explored the experiences of the 2015 earthquake in Nepal among international travelers immediately following the earthquake. In-depth interviews were conducted with 21 Israeli backpackers who were traveling in Nepal at the time of the earthquake. Thematic analysis revealed 4 themes: emotional turmoil, quick recovery, springing into action, and connection to the army. Findings suggest that foreign travelers initially respond with emotional turmoil to the disaster. Then they actively search for ways to effectively cope with the situation by problem solving, creating a community of action and support, and searching their own history for similar circumstances that can provide a sense of competence or clear directions for coping. Implications and limitations of the study, as well as suggestions for future research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Person-of-the-Therapist Training (POTT) is a program designed to facilitate clinicians' ability to consciously and purposefully use their selves to effectively connect, assess, and intervene with clients. This study explored CFT students' perceptions of the effects of POTT on their ability to create positive therapeutic relationships. Course papers and final reflections were collected from 70 CFT students. Directed content analysis looking for evidence-supported elements of positive therapeutic relationships revealed 5 elements: empathy, management of countertransference, balancing multiple alliances, positive regard, and bond. Findings support the idea that a structured program focused on the training of the personal aspects of the therapists, like POTT, can promote the evidence-supported elements that make a therapeutic relationship effective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the growing diversity in the United States among both clinicians and clients, many therapeutic encounters are cross-cultural, requiring providers to connect across cultural differences. Foreign-born therapists have many areas of differences to work through. Thus, exploring how foreign-born family therapists in the United States connect to their clients can uncover helpful strategies that all therapists can use to establish stronger cross-cultural therapeutic connections. A thematic analysis was conducted to understand strategies 13 foreign-born therapists used during therapeutic encounters. Four themes were identified: making therapy a human-to-human connection, dealing with stereotypes, what really matters, and flexibility. Findings suggest that developing a deep therapeutic connection using emotional attunement and human-to-human engagement is crucial for successful cross-cultural therapy. Clinical and training implications are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sense of community includes elements such as sense of belonging, mutual interdependence, trust, shared goals and values, and shared history. It is associated with benefits for both the members and the community and is believed to be stronger in religious minority groups. This qualitative study describes the experiences of the Jewish Orthodox community among Orthodox Jewish gay men. In-depth interviews were conducted with 22 men about their experiences of being gay in their Orthodox communities. A content analysis revealed four themes: community as a home, community as a comprehensive provider, community as a strict behavior regulator, and community as punitive toward gay men. Findings suggest that Orthodox Jewish gay men have mixed feelings about their community; being satisfied with a community that provides for all their needs, but also living in constant fear of the negative consequences they and their families may endure if their homosexuality will be revealed. Recommendations for social work practice are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The Person-of-the-Therapist Training ( POTT) is a program designed to facilitate clinicians' ability to consciously and purposefully use themselves at the moment of contact with their clients in order to connect, assess, and intervene effectively. This qualitative study explored the experiences of 54 master's-level students who were enrolled in an accredited marriage and family therapy program in the United States and examined their perceived professional gains following a 9-month POTT course. Content analysis of trainees' reflections which they wrote at the end of the training revealed 6 primary themes: (a) increased awareness, (b) emotions, (c) improved clinical work, (d) humanity and woundedness, (e) meta-awareness, and (f) factors that contributed to the learning process. Findings suggest that key outcomes of this training curriculum are congruent with its stated goals. Clinical and training recommendations are additionally provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This qualitative study describes the marital relationship experiences of Orthodox Jewish gay men in mixed-orientation marriages. In-depth interviews were conducted with 21 men from the northeastern part of North America about their experiences of being gay in their Orthodox religious communities. Spontaneous accounts of their experiences within the marital relationship were reported by all participants. A content analysis revealed four primary themes: reasons for getting married, the role of the Orthodox community in sustaining the marriage, quality of the marital relationship, and the impact of homosexuality on the marital relationship. Findings suggest that religion and the Orthodox community play a major role in gay Orthodox Jewish men's decision to marry and in sustaining the marriage. In addition, findings suggest that the marital relationship is experienced as a task-centered teamwork and not as a source of support and intimacy. Finally, although rarely discussed in the relationship, their sexual orientation greatly influences these men's attitudes, behaviors, and feelings toward their wives. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This study premises that self-of-the-therapist work is pivotal in the development of effective therapists. However, therapy models vary in their goals for this work and the means of accomplishing them. This study presents the perspective of the person-of-the-therapist Training ( POTT) model that prioritizes the ability to consciously and purposefully use the self-as-is at the moment of contact with the client over the traditional goal of therapists working to resolve their issues. A key underlying assumption of the model proposes that therapists' core issues (referred to as 'signature themes') are potent resources that can be tapped into to connect, assess and intervene effectively with clients. The study presents the model and illustrates the use of signature themes in clinical work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Globalization and immigration have affected clinical practice in the United States by changing the demographic profile of both clients and clinical providers. There is a trend toward more foreign-born therapists practicing in the United States, yet little attention has been given to foreign-born therapists who are also immigrants and their needs during clinical supervision. Symbolic interactionism (Blumer, 1969) and ecological theory (Bronfenbrenner, 1979) were used to develop this cross-sectional Web-based survey study to examine the associations among perceived supervisors' multicultural competence, supervision satisfaction, and counseling self-efficacy in a sample of foreign-born therapists currently practicing in the United States. One hundred fifty-three immigrant therapists completed 4 questionnaires examining perceived supervisors' multicultural competence, supervision satisfaction, and counseling self-efficacy. Results suggest that supervisor's multicultural competence is a moderate predictor of clinical self-efficacy. Unexpectedly, the association between supervisor multicultural competence and counselor clinical self-efficacy was significantly stronger for foreign-born therapists who reported less supervision satisfaction. Supervisors working with foreign-born therapists should openly discuss cross-cultural interactions and power and privilege in all parts of the training triad and attend to the sociopolitical context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The psychotherapy field has been paying closer attention to how therapists’ characteristics, history, and styles affect therapeutic encounters and contribute to successful therapy outcomes. Therapists have been encouraged to increase self-awareness of their own socio-cultural dimensions to optimally connect with clients. However, the experience of therapists’ own immigration has received little attention. This article highlights the experience of immigration as important for understanding the self of the therapist, describing core experiences related to immigration for immigrant therapists in the United States. This article additionally describes how these experiences can affect immigrant therapists’ clinical encounters. Finally, recommendations are provided for immigrant therapists, clinical supervisors, and training programs. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Second-order change is a central concept in Marriage and Family Therapy, but still remains poorly operationalized. We conducted a web-based modified Delphi study with 31 established faculty members currently teaching in COAMFTE-accredited Master's and Doctoral programs in the United States and in Canada to identify consensus regarding second-order change concepts, clinical operationalization, evaluation, and teaching principles. Numerous exemplars of first and second-order change were generated, but consensus on most items was low. Consensus was highest for pedagogy and low regarding concepts and clinical examples of first-order change and evaluation of second-order change. Results suggest clearer definitions and better measurement of systemic change are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To explore how African-American youth cope with the diagnosis and treatment of parental breast cancer, and to identify culturally sensitive ways to recruit and sustain participation of this vulnerable population in intervention programs. Methods: Three qualitative focus groups which were part of a larger study were conducted with 12 African-American youth between the ages of 11 and 18, currently coping with parental breast cancer from the Northeastern part of the United States. Interviews were audio-taped and transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using content analysis. Results: African-American youth described fear and uncertainty about the mortality of their parent, their unpredictable future, and discomfort in negotiating breast cancer's relationship with the entire family. Four primary themes emerged which were coping with cancer, it affects us too, changes in family functioning, and growth through pain. African-American youth described feeling overlooked by their families and oncology staff treating their parents, often being in the role of protecting their parents physically and emotionally. Conclusions: This study suggests that clinicians can improve the care of African-American breast cancer patients and their adolescent children by being more family-centered. Adolescents need more developmentally appropriate preparation for the family changes likely to occur when a parent is diagnosed and treated for breast cancer. Developing a support group comprised of other youth coping with parental breast cancer from diagnosis throughout treatment was described as a preferred intervention to promote a shared understanding in order to overcome feelings of isolation, worry, and fear. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This qualitative study describes experiences of cancer care delivery for nine African-American breast cancer patients. Three focus groups captured participants' experiences with the diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer and parenting their children. Spontaneous accounts describing their interactions with oncology staff were reported by all breast cancer patients. Content analysis revealed five themes: interaction with physicians, power and authority of physicians, collaboration between physicians and mental health professionals, navigating the system, and involvement of the family in the treatment process. These themes may help in developing culturally sensitive training programs for oncology providers to improve the quality of cancer care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Throughout history, prostitution has been controversial. Ambivalent attitudes towards prostitution have been part of the feminist discussion for over a century. While feminist scholars agree that inequality within patriarchal hierarchy is the core problem in prostitution, they have been polarized about whether classist or sexist inequality is the primary issue and consequently, on viewing the prostitute as either a coerced victim or an entrepreneur. This article reviews the feminist critique of prostitution and current issues in feminist literature. Changes in policies and social practices are discussed as well as clinical considerations for family therapists working with this vulnerable population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]