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Knitting and crocheting is an age-old form of art that is unique because the of process and finished productthat is created. This study looked at a quantitative analysis to examine how knitting and crocheting affect the stress that students experience. A sample of 576 participants, largely comprising students across a wide range of age groups responded to a surveythat hypothesized a relationship between the frequency of knitting and crocheting students did and the frequency of stress that they experienced. A chi-square test was conducted to analyze the categorical variables and identify the relationship between the two variables. A statistically significant association was found. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors present a theoretical integrative model of pain-dynamics for the categorization and transformation of emotional pain in person-centered and experiential psychotherapies. Integrating data from research literature and clinical work, the model distinguishes between three types of emotional pain: basic emotional pain, relational pain, and self-pain. The authors show how each type of emotional pain has not only distinct developmental etiology and evolutionary function, but also how each type requires a fundamentally different transformational process to be healed. Though clients experience all three types of pain in their life, usually one particular pain is dominant in the session. The model provides markers for identifying the active pain in the session, directing the therapist to one of three transformational paths. It thus provides a focus for the work, but also leaves plenty of room for intuitive moment-to-moment tracking of emerging experience. Although this new conceptual model emerged from the integration of the authors' AEDP practice with EFT principles, pain dynamics can help to systematically select interventions and techniques from a variety of experiential models. Conceptualizing the active pain in the session combines the advantages of case conceptualization and moment to moment work of process formulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the last decades, the prevalence of eating disorders has increased dramatically. In the current psychiatric nomenclature of the DSM-5 [2], the eating disorders consist of three clearly defined syndromes, i.e. anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervos and binge-eating disorder. The onset of the most clinical cases occurs in adolescence or young adulthood. Data provided by psychiatric practice reveal that eating disorders occur more frequently in women, compared with men. These disorders appear to be multidetermined. Thus, the risk for (or protection against) the development of eating disorders resides in several factors, i.e. genetic, neurohormonal, family, psychological and sociocultural. Negative life events can also play a triggering role. Anorexia nervosa is a debilitating mental disorder with profound biological, psychological and social consequences. Although the overall incidence rate of anorexia nervosa is considerably stable over the past decades, the incidence among adolescents has increased. Different types of psychotherapeutic interventions (e.g., family-based therapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy, dialectical behavior therapy, interpersonal therapy, etc.) are used to treat eating disorders. However, the benefits of experiential techniques (e.g., emotion-focused therapy or gestalt therapy) have been less explored. This paper focuses on a 19-yearold adolescent girl presenting with symptoms of anorexia nervosa. The complaints, results of the initial assessment, goals of the therapeutic sessions, working techniques as well as gains of the intervention based on experiential methods (e.g., the empty chair technique, metapositions, cognitive reframing, etc.) are reviewed. Practical implications are discussed considering the potential of experiential psychotherapy in assisting clients with eating disorders.

The article aims to analyze the multi-dimensional process of assessing therapeutic need and formulation following child sexual abuse. The authors present a comprehensive framework for assessing the therapeutic needs of children and families impacted by sexual abuse, considering various factors and approaches. They emphasize tailoring the therapeutic plan to the unique needs of each individual child and family.

Emotional intelligence may beneficially affect human life and psychological and social functioning, whereas indirect self-destructiveness exerts a rather adverse impact thereon. The aim of this study was to synthesise the results of research on possible relationships between emotional intelligence and indirect self-destructiveness, emotional intelligence dimensions and indirect self-destructiveness categories, as well as the gender differentiation of relationships between particular dimensions of emotional intelligence and the categories of indirect self-destructiveness. A population of 260 individuals (130 females and 130 males) aged 20-30 years (mean age of 24.5 years) was assessed using INTE, i.e. the Polish version of the Assessing Emotions Scale (AES) and the Polish version of Chronic Self-Destructiveness Scale (CS-DS). The level of emotional intelligence differentiated the intensity of indirect self-destructiveness and vice versa. Emotional intelligence and its factors showed many significant, mainly negative, correlations with indirect self-destructiveness and its categories. Relationships between particular dimensions of emotional intelligence and categories of self-destructiveness differed between women and men. One of the crucial differences was the association between the ability to recognise emotions and transgression. In general, low emotional intelligence can be said to correlate with poor psychological and social functioning, which in turn is associated with indirect self-destructiveness and its categories. It seems advisable to utilise emotional intelligence in the prophylactic and therapeutic work with those suffering from various types of disorders, especially the indirect self-destructiveness syndrome. Knowledge on the differentiation of the said relationships may help properly target prophylactic and therapeutic interventions, adjusting them to a given gender. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Spirituality is a human specific phenomenon associated with positive mental and physical health outcomes. From a scientific point of view, it is a complex construct which can be investigated in various ways. The Spiritual Connection Questionnaire (SCQ) measures spirituality independently from religiousness thus it appears to be an appropriate measure to assess religious and non-religious aspects of spirituality. Aim: The present study aimed to develop and validate the Hungarian version of the short form of the Spiritual Connection Questionnaire (SCQ-14). Furthermore, it aimed to investigate spirituality's association with affect and thinking style. Methods: Participants of two non- representative community samples (n = 387 and n = 145) completed the following questionnaires online: short form of the Spiritual Connection Questionnaire, Spiritual Transcendence Scale, Rational–Experiential Inventory, and Positive and Negative Affect Schedule. Results: The Hungarian SCQ-14 showed an excellent internal consistency (Cronbach's α = 0.94 and 0.97 on Sample 1 and 2, respectively). Confirmatory factor analyses indicated inappropriate fit with the theoretically assumed one-factor model (χ2 = 435.848, df = 77, p < 0.001; CFI = 0.904; NFI = 0.886; RMSEA = 0.110 [90% CI = 0.100–0.120] on Sample 1, and χ2 = 247.132, df = 77, p < 0.001; CFI = 0.917; NFI = 0.885; RMSEA = 0.123 [90% CI = 0.106–0.141] on Sample 2). In contrast, results of exploratory factor analyses indicated a one-factor structure on both samples. The SCQ-14 was positively associated with spiritual transcendence, experiential thinking style, and partly with positive affect. No significant correlations with rational thinking style and negative affect were found. Results of the multiple hierarchical linear regression analysis on both samples revealed a significant contribution of experiential thinking style and spiritual transcendence to spiritual connection after controlling for gender, age, educational qualification, and positive affect. Conclusions: The Hungarian version of the Spiritual Connection Questionnaire (SCQ-14) is a valid, psychometrically sound measure. Spiritual transcendence and experiential thinking style independently contribute to spiritual connection. Elméleti háttér: A spiritualitás humánspecifikus jelenség, amelynek pozitív hatása a testi és mentális egészségre nézve bizonyított. Tudományos szempontból a spiritualitás meglehetősen összetett fogalom, számos különböző mérőeszközzel vizsgálható. A Spirituális Kapcsolat Kérdőív (Spiritual Connection Questionnaire, SCQ) vallástól függetlenül értékeli a spiritualitás szintjét, így vallásos és nem vallásos személyek körében egyaránt alkalmazható. Cél: Jelen kutatás célja Spirituális Kapcsolat Kérdőív rövid változatának (SCQ-14) magyar nyelvű validálása volt. További cél volt a spiritualitás gondolkozási stílussal és affektivitással való összefüggésének vizsgálata. Módszerek: A kutatás két nem reprezentatív mintából áll (n = 387 és n = 145), amelynek résztvevői a Spirituális Kapcsolat Kérdőív rövid változatát, a Spirituális Transzcendencia Kérdőívet, az Észszerűség–Megérzés Kérdőívet, valamint a Pozitív és Negatív Affektivitás Skálát töltötték ki online formában. Eredmények: Az SCQ-14 magyar változata kiváló belső konzisztenciát (Cronbach-α = 0,94 az első, és 0,97 a második mintán) jelzett. A konfirmatív faktoranalízis nem mutatott megfelelő illeszkedést az eredeti egyfaktoros modellhez képest (χ2 = 435,848, df = 77, p < 0,001; CFI = 0,904; NFI = 0,886; RMSEA = 0,110 [90% CI = 0,100– 0,120] az első mintán, és χ2 = 247,132, df = 77, p < 0,001; CFI = 0,917; NFI = 0,885; RMSEA = 0,123 [90% CI = 0,106–0,141] a második mintán). Ezzel szemben a feltáró faktoranalízis eredménye egyfaktoros modellt mutatott mindkét minta esetén. Az SCQ-14 továbbá pozitív irányú összefüggést mutatott a spirituális transzcendenciával, a tapasztalati gondolkodási stílussal, valamint részben a pozitív affektivitással is. A spirituális kapcsolat és negatív affektivitás, valamint a racionális gondolkodási stílus között nem jelentkezett szignifikáns korreláció. A mindkét mintán lefuttatott többszörös hierarchikus lineáris regresszió eredményei szerint a tapasztalati gondolkodás és a spirituális transzcendencia a nem, a kor, az iskolai végzettség és a pozitív affektivitás kontrollálása után is szignifikáns kapcsolatban maradt a spirituális kapcsolat pontszámmal. Következtetések: A Spirituális Kapcsolat Kérdőív rövid változatának magyar verziója valid, jó pszichometriai mutatókkal bíró mérőeszköz. A spirituális transzcendencia és a tapasztalati gondolkodás egymástól függetlenül is hozzájárulnak a spirituális kapcsolathoz. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Parental divorce is seen as one of the causes for children's, as well as adolescents' emotional and behavioral difficulties/distress. Empirical studies show that resilience is a key factor for how children adapt to a traumatic event, such as their parents' divorce. Objectives: This study has as therapeutic objectives to unlock repressed emotions, as well as teach and guide learning of healthy ways of emotional expression, to increase self-confidence and improve the capacity to adapt in difficult contexts, to consolidate the child - parent relationship and develop self-consciousness in a boy whose parents went through a divorce process. The case study is focused on a 10-year-old preadolescent whose parents have divorced and later reunited as a couple, who was presenting social anxiety and difficulties in managing his negative emotions at the time of his coming to psychotherapy. Methods: The psychotherapeutic process was developed in 12 sessions of experiential psychotherapy, by using expressive-creative methods, drawing, play dough and roleplay. Results: The experiential psychotherapeutic intervention reduced the preadolescent's social anxiety and improved his capacity to adapt in difficult/unfamiliar contexts. Conclusions: By preparing this case study, it has been observed that divorce has a great impact on the development of preadolescents, leading to a high level of anxiety, low self-esteem and behavioral disorders, while building resilience protects the children of the negative effects of the distress caused by parental divorce. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Experiential therapy focuses on emotions - whether we are talking about negative emotions, such as anger, pain, shame - correlated with past experiences, but also emotions associated with success, self-esteem, or even responsibility. Unlocking already experienced emotions and their subjective experience is the central point of experiential therapy - whether we are talking about the experience of the immediate and the awareness of our own being, or we are talking about "frozen" experiences, to which we have no conscious access outside psychotherapeutic practices. It reconfigures our mental maps by generating behaviors that make sense only in correlation with the understanding of those emotions, that are present in the subconscious but of which we are unaware and are not effectively rationalized. The article aims to analyze the field of application and the therapeutic particularities of experiential psychotherapy as a form of existentialisthumanistic therapy, as well as the limits of the experiential paradigm in a postmodern context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the late nineties an international association was organized, bringing together representatives of the person-centered and experiential approaches, continuing the tradition of C. Rogers and E. Gendlin. The name of the association includes two key categories: personality and experience. In the paper, from the perspective of co-experiencing psychotherapy, the links between these categories are discussed, and options for the relationship between them are analyzed. The contours of the personal character of the experience and the experiential vision of the personality are outlined. In the theory and practice of co-experiencing psychotherapy, such characteristics of experiencing as its active mode, multilevel structure, dialogic way of being, cultural-historical mediation are revealed. This allows us to talk about the relation of the individual to his/her experiencing, about his active participation in the experiencing. Not an experience is doing experiencing, but a person. For psychotherapy, this raises the task of comprehending the criteria of the “desired” attitude of the individual to his experience and the search for methods to help the client to achieve the most productive personal position. The personal nature of co-experiencing as the activity of the psychotherapist is discussed from the point of view of the embodiment of “personal centeredness” in the experiential approach. The paper is written in the genre of theoretical dialogue.

Introduction: Erich Fromm (1900-1980) was a German psychoanalyst, his work focused on several areas of human knowledge: social psychology, Psychoanalysis, sociology, humanist philosophy, ethics etc. Fromm used the "here and now" presence from Zen Buddhism, the importance of being "centrally related" to the client in his psychoanalytical practice. Experiential psychotherapy adapts to the client, trying through any creative method to help them overcome difficulties, discover themselves and restructure those parts that bring pain. Objectives: 1. To name Fromm's contribution to psychology and psychotherapy, his theories and private practice. 2. To identify the connection between Erich Fromm's theories and modern Experiential psychotherapy. This paper is focused on the different ways Fromm's work as a psychoanalyst and philosophical thinker can help therapists include the social and ethical dimensions of his theories in to their practice. Methods: Analyzing Erich Fromm's theoretical work and private psychoanalytical practice. Fromm's vision of man, as psychoanalyst, is full of healing goodwill, using ethics and theoretical morals as a guiding thread of practice. In his works he seems to want to unite theory with practice, so that there is no distinction between the theoretical ideal and the practical living of the individual and humanity. Results: Using Erich Fromm's perspective in the practice of Experiential psychotherapy. The dual, alienated mind-body perspective of Descartes, and others like him, is different from Erich Fromm's vision, which is more integrated, holistic, as one could say. And this vision is important in the Experiential Psychotherapy of Unification, the PEU method, focusing on the unification of perceived and often conflicting polarities. Conclusions: Is Erich Fromm relevant in contemporary psychotherapeutic practice? In psychotherapy it is not enough to have knowledge on psychology, psychiatry, medicine, anatomy, anthropology, sociology; we also need vast knowledge of ethics and philosophy to be able to fully comprehend the human nature and find proper healing methods. The humanism of Fromm's psychology is given by ethics; these values lead to the realization of the whole human potential and to humanism. For him it is important for a mental health professional to study and understand that psychology also deals with ethical issues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent findings indicate that alexithymia is the result of a multidomain, multidimensional failure of interoception. Whereas much of the literature addresses the cognitive and affective aspects of alexithymia, less is known about the association between the failure of interoception and the process of motivated cue integration. The theory of motivated cue integration integrates high-level control processes with low-level embodied and contextual cues, suggesting that selective attention to internal and contextual cues results in the creation of meaning that, in turn, influences judgment and action generation. Conceptualized as a special case of the cue integration problem, alexithymia may be associated with restricted access to emotional cues, indicating impaired connectivity between low-level embodied cues and top–down goals and values. This problem may also be viewed as a means substitution problem, indicating the individual's need for alternative multisensory information. Based on this reasoning, interventions that exploit awareness-of-sensation techniques (e.g., mindfulness, experiential approach, focusing) may help to improve the distinction between bodily sensation and interpretation and to create meaning of situational state by substitution of inaccessible affective cues with alternative cues. Accordingly, clinicians and neuropsychologists can help individuals who suffer from alexithymia by training them to use awareness-of-sensation techniques and directing their attention to alternative multisensory cues as well as alternative cognitive configurations (e.g., mental images). Integrating peripheral cues in the moment-by-moment generation of meaning and self-regulation can improve affective judgment through the exchange of inaccessible affective cues with alternative ones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The paper presents the construction and validation of a process research instrument in experiential psychotherapy, aimed for the detection of improvements in the self-image of children diagnosed with ADHD. It also provides the conceptual frame on using experiential metaphors in the psychotherapeutic intervention of the same children. Objectives: We have created two dynamic, experiential diagnosis techniques called "The Orchard" and "My World", starting from the classical projective techniques "Draw a Person test" and "Draw a Tree test". Methods: The techniques were applied to 2 groups: 5 children diagnosed with ADHD, in the experimental group, and 5 typical children composing the control group. The dynamic exercises were video recorded. Then we created and validated an observation sheet for video images centered on self-image. The construction was made using the method of expert groups, with a total of 16 experiential psychotherapists. The validation was carried out with help from a group of 33 independent psychologists, who watched the videos of the experiential diagnosis sessions and assessed the children involved in these meetings, based on the observation charts. Results: The psychometric qualities of the observation sheet for video images centered on self-image indicated a good reliability. The internal consistency was also good, Cronbach's alpha coefficient indicating 0.914. Content validity was ensured by involving experts in elaborating the exercises, the items and the definition of the answer options. The discriminative validity t test revealed a significant difference between the group of children with ADHD and children in the control group, with the global score (t = 2.294, Sig. = 0.029) obtained in the observation sheet. Conclusions: The experiential metaphorical scenarios that we have proposed can be used as assessment methods because they do not only evaluate certain areas of mental development, but also capture interactions between them, as well as the child's capacity for emotional regulation in social contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reports on clinical work with a child using play therapy and transactional analysis. Drawing on both traditions and written by the clinician (Tatjana Gjurković) and her supervisor (Keith Tudor), it presents a comparative model of stages of treatment and describes therapeutic work that illustrates these stages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The papers in this collaborative commentary explore the importance of engaging issues of sociocultural identity in trauma treatment in general, and specifically in the AEDP treatment of Nicole Vigoda Gonzalez's (2018) case of Rosa. Issues addressed include the role of language, bilingualism and language switching in therapy in general, and a fortiori when trauma or relational trauma is involved. After brief autobiographical sketches of the contributors, organized around each author's personal bilingualism story, there are three separate commentaries: Raymond Rodriguez (2018) begins by elaborating on the construct of sociocultural identity, exploring clients' identification around their native language, and emphasizes how crucial it is to address those concerns in therapy. Next, Yamilka Urquiza Mendoza (2018) introduces the importance of specificity in addressing multicultural issues, proposing that overly broad categories risk cluelessness, just at a higher level of magnification. Taking off from Rosa's being born on a Spanish Caribbean Island, Urquiza Mendoza illustrates how applying the term Hispanic to all Spanish speakers misses the huge ethnic and cultural diversity contained within that overly broad term. In the third commentary, referencing some neurobiological findings on how the traumatized brain processes language, Huan Jacquie Ye-Perman (2018) discusses how choosing to speak in one's non-native language in treatment is not always about distancing and can often be a vehicle for differentiation and exploring new aspects of self-identity. My concluding reflections are on the specific aspects of stance and intervention that allow AEDP to embody fundamental elements, as described by Owen (2013), of the multicultural therapist's paradigm--i.e., cultural humility, benefitting opportunities, and developing cultural comfort-- and to seamlessly manifest them in the nitty gritty of day-to-day, moment-to-moment clinical work. I end with some reflections on what AEDP, with its motto of "make the implicit explicit, and the explicit experiential," needs to do to actively keep optimizing its interventions to meet the challenges of the multicultural orientation framework and to do justice to these vital considerations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This qualitative study intends to investigate how college students perceive their emotional experiences during service practice and the effects of service-learning on the way students look at their interaction with others. The core themes emerging from the study involve (1) getting in touch with emotional experiences, and (2) finding ways to improve relationships with others. The findings are discussed from the perspective of experiential learning in psychotherapy, and the implications for both research and practice are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Life after a traumatic experience is never easy. This is certainly the case for victims. For many offenders, committing a crime might be a traumatic experience as well, and incarceration may confront them even more with the consequences of their deeds. Humanistic therapies are very suitable for encouraging clients to embark on an explicit meaning-making process. In this article, we explore with a case study how experiential–existential therapy can foster meaning making and posttraumatic growth in prisoners. With Diana, we started with identifying her global meanings, which had been threatened by her own actions. The therapy offered her a safe nonjudgmental space where she could learn to explore all aspects of the crime she committed and its consequences. By processing her past in an experiential mode, she generated new meanings about herself, about others and about the meaning and purpose of her own life. Diana found new ways to meet her basic existential needs. She developed a more nuanced set of meanings and a richer pallet of coping skills that enable her to live her life in a more meaningful and in a better adjusted way. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adversity has been identified as an important factor in models of psychopathology and can help in understanding persecutory ideation, although potential moderators and mediators for adult psychopathology have not been sufficiently examined. Experiential avoidance (EA) and Self-esteem (SE) are relevant factors to understand how adversity leads to persecutory ideation. This study hypothesized that adversity would be associated with persecutory ideation through heightened EA, and that this association would be strengthened in individuals with a discrepant high SE. Participants with persecutory ideation (n = 52), with depression (n = 35) and healthy controls (n = 51) were assessed with the Trauma History Screen, the Paranoia and Deservedness Scale, and the Beck Depression Inventory. A SE discrepancy index was calculated subtracting the normalized explicit SE score from the normalized implicit SE score (measured by a version of a Go/No-go association task). Our analysis revealed that adversity was associated with higher levels of paranoia and was mediated by EA. In addition, we found that the relationship between adversity and EA was moderated by SE discrepancy. Identification of moderating and mediating variables allows for increased understanding of persecutory ideation and the processes that should be targeted in the course of recovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study sought to extend compulsive sexual behavior (CSB) and mindfulness research by testing whether dispositional mindfulness negatively related to CSB among men with substance use disorders (SUD) through experiential avoidance. Dispositional mindfulness is believed to decrease experiential avoidance, a correlate of CSB. We therefore hypothesized that dispositional mindfulness would relate to CSB indirectly through experiential avoidance. We reviewed medical records from 175 men in residential treatment for SUD. Results revealed significant indirect effects of dispositional mindfulness on CSB through experiential avoidance. Results provided preliminary support for developing mindfulness-based CSB interventions that target experiential avoidance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: This paper presents a range of concepts from transactional analysis, an approach which shares many of the values of experiential psychotherapy. A short glossary is included at the end of the paper - terms are explained and referenced as they are described, and they are illustrated with practical examples. Objectives: The article is provided to share useful TA concepts with those engaged in experiential psychotherapy, in a way that can be applied to consideration of therapeutic style, client diagnosis, contracting with clients, dealing with self, diversity, planning and making interventions, and dealing with ruptures to the relationship. Methods: Hermeneutic, phenomenological reflections based on the professional experiences and theoretical learning of the author. Results: Consideration of the application of a number of transactional analysis concepts within elements of case studies. Conclusions: The paper demonstrates potential applications of various transactional analysis concepts in ways that align with the values of experiential psychotherapy; the author aims to stimulate further interest and possible application. Comprehensive referencing is included for those who wish to explore further. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Oppositional defiant disorder is one of the most frequent behavioral problems of children that are referred to psychological evaluation and treatment. These children present a large number of behavioral issues, like arguing, disobeying, or talking back to their parents, teachers, or other adults, but also important emotional issues, like depressive thoughts, low selfesteem and anxiety. Objectives: The first part of the paper presents a model of clinical assessment protocol for the oppositional defiant disorder, with application in three case studies of children with important anger management issues. The second part of the paper presents an experiential psychotherapy model for the intervention with these children and their families, with application in a case study. Methods: The evaluation protocol included a semi-structured interview with parents, unstructured interview with the child, projective techniques (Draw a person/ tree/ family), Children's Depression Inventory (CDI) (Parent, Teacher and Self-Report forms), Multidimensional Anxiety Scale for Children (MASC), CONNERS - Third Edition, (Parent, Teacher and Self-Report forms) and Raven's Standard Progressive Matrices/ Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC). The therapeutic protocol is considered from the process-experiential perspective, starting with the clinical evaluation, followed by the case conceptualization. Results: The evaluation process revealed that all three children had a very high level of aggression and manifested oppositionist behaviors, associated with emotional difficulties. The oppositionist behaviors appear prior to the onset of the affective symptoms. Conclusion: The treatment for the child's oppositional defiant disorder (ODD) should follow the pattern for emotional disorders treatment, using a child and family model of psychotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Experiential empirically supported treatments for depression assume that both arousal and experiencing of emotion are necessary for good treatment outcomes. The current study examined the importance of emotional arousal and experiencing to outcome during 32 experiential therapies for major depression. Experiential theory assumes that arousal is important to outcome because it facilitates further emotional processing. The relative contribution of emotional arousal and experiencing was examined within phases of therapy. Two main hypotheses were explored. (1) We hypothesized that arousal would indirectly predict outcome mediated by experiencing and (2) we hypothesized that experiential therapy would increase emotional arousal across therapy. Both hypotheses were supported. The present findings therefore support experiential theory concerning the importance of both emotional arousal and experiencing to good outcome in experiential treatment of depression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article seeks to explore the work of Wilfred Bion in the early stages of his therapeutic explorations of the group process. Focusing on examples from his work in the Second World War, the author draws on three key themes that epitomise Bion's thinking; striving for the leaderless group, relinquishing the leadership role and studying the group itself. These themes are then used to inform a reflection of the author's experiences working with groups of young people who, for a variety of reasons, are reluctant to engage. Conclusions are drawn regarding the enduring relevance of Bion's insights and the value that may be gleaned by stepping back from the leadership role and from ensuring that evaluation of group activity includes engaging with not just the 'what', but also the 'how' and 'why', of the experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Offenders with personality disorders (PDs) and the crimes that they have committed are regularly associated with emotional deficits. A renewed focus in forensic treatment is the use of experiential techniques: techniques that have a strong focus on eliciting emotions. However, there is little empirical evidence on the effectiveness of experiential techniques in forensic clients with PDs. In our pilot study, we examined whether three experiential drama therapy interventions are effective in evoking emotional vulnerability and anger in nine offenders with cluster B PDs, that is, clients with DSM-IV Antisocial, Borderline, or Narcissistic PDs. We used a 5 session drama therapy protocol that consisted of an introduction session, a general experiential session, a session to evoke emotional vulnerability, a session to evoke anger, and a wrap-up session. Emotions were assessed using the Mode Observation Scale. Participants showed significantly more emotional vulnerability within all three experiential invention sessions, comparing peak mood after the experiential intervention was initiated to baseline mood. In contrast, clients did not show more anger after the session to evoke anger, or in the other two experiential sessions. Our findings, though preliminary, suggest that experiential drama therapy methods may be effective in evoking vulnerable emotional states in forensic clients with cluster B personality disorders. We discuss the clinical implications of these findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The psychotherapeutic program "Filia Alchemic Dance", developed ever since 2006 in Braşov, represents a holistic and integrative approach to human personality, having as a main frame the "Unifying Experiential Psychotherapy" method. This program combines the efficiency of dance and movement therapies, as creative-expressive methods, with the effectiveness of body psychotherapies and transpersonal approaches which use the amplified consciousness states. Objectives: The present study aims at underlining the efficiency of this program in restructuring and healing some deep psychosomatic and emotional problems, which originate in traumatic experiences from different periods: prenatal period, birth, early childhood, childhood and even adolescence. In my previous studies, I used quantitative methods to demonstrate and present the remarkable results obtained through this holistic and integrative program, called "Filia Alchemic Dance", without insisting on restructuring and healing emotional traumas through regressive experiences and amplified consciousness states. Methods: The experimental method of this program is a unique and innovative one, especially in terms of accessing traumatic experiences. This part of the method represents a unique combination of dance moves and conscious breathing using a mobilizing and inductive musical background, with moments of stillness and body work in the absence of music. This method differs substantially from the holotropic breath work proposed by Stanislav Grof. As a research method, this study uses a qualitative approach, such as case studies based on accounts of participants in this program, which were collected and selected throughout the ten-year span of practicing this method. Results: The results obtained over the past ten years of implementing the "Filia Alchemic Dance" program are remarkable: some of the participants managed to process and restructure certain traumatic experiences, while others had the opportunity to access extraordinary states of consciousness, which facilitated a superior understanding of reality. Conclusions: Based on the results obtained in this therapeutic program over the past ten years, we can state that it can join those complex and profoundly restructuring approaches that already exist (holotropic breath work, „pneuma" breathing, biofeedback, neo-reichian approach, rebirth, psychosynthesis). Filia Alchemic Dance can be a viable alternative to the traditional methods mentioned above. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/aim: In prevailing opinion, a strong relation exists between lack of empathy and antisocial personality disorder (ASPD). However, recent data fail to wholly clarify this relation, especially in consideration of empathy dimensions. In this study our aim was to address ASPD and social functionality from a contextual behavioral science viewpoint. Materials and methods: The present study was conducted with a sample of 34 individuals with ASPD and 32 healthy individuals as the control group. The participants were assessed with a sociodemographic form, Structured Clinical Interviews for DSM I and II (SCID-I and SCID-II), Social Functioning Scale (SFS), Acceptance and Action Questionnaire-II for measuring experiential avoidance, Interpersonal Reactivity Index for measuring empathy dimensions, and the State-Trait Anger Scale for anger-related attitudes. Results: Experiential avoidance, dysfunctional anger regulation patterns, and lack of perspective-taking levels were higher in the ASPD group than in the control group. Experiential avoidance and perspective-taking processes were related with social functioning in ASPD. Conclusion: These findings may provide initial data for understanding ASPD clinical features and related social interaction problems. Further relations between scales and social functionality also analyzed and discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This report evolved from contributions to the 2015 Society for Existential Analysis conference in London. I briefly describe opening the conference with a guided Focusing session since this practice is fundamental to my report on the other contribution, a Panel Discussion entitled 'Being at the Heart of Activism'. What follows is an account of my own interests in this area as an existential psychologist and Focusing therapist. I present Focusing as a source of democratic process that forms an experiential continuity from 'within' each person 'outwards' to interpersonal and community situations. For this publication I have incorporated some references to Eugene Gendlin's (1987) A philosophical critique of the concept of narcissism. Keeping with the ethos of the approach described below, this report is presented in first-person language to make it as direct and accessible as possible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]