Violence as Secular Evil: Forensic Evaluation and Treatment of Violent Offenders from the Viewpoint of Existential Depth Psychology

Violence is the preeminent evil of our day. Though the causes of destructive violence in our society are complex, the troublesome human emotions of anger and rage play a central role in the genesis of violent behavior and psychopathology in general. In this paper, the author discusses forensic evaluation and psychotherapeutic treatment via existential depth psychology—a synthesis of Freudian, Jungian, and existential theory—focusing on the overlooked links between repressed anger or rage, pathological narcissism, antisocial personality, and violent behavior.     

Anticipatory Processing and Post‐Event Processing in Social Anxiety Disorder: An Update on the Literature

Two repetitive thinking processes that have been proposed in prominent maintenance models of social anxiety disorder (SAD) are anticipatory processing and post‐event processing. Research into these two processes has steadily increased over the last 20 years. This review highlights the main lines of existing research on anticipatory processing and post‐event processing, including studies on the nature of these processes, their association with social anxiety, the predictors, and consequences of these processes, as well as how these processes respond to treatments for SAD. The review also highlights some of the conceptual and methodological issues that have prevented the literature on anticipatory processing and post‐event processing from being more integrated and focused. Finally, the review draws together some new directions in terms of theory and research to further advance the field.     

Similar stimulus features control visual classification in orangutans and rhesus monkeys

Many species classify images according to visual attributes. In pigeons, local features may disproportionately control classification, whereas in primates global features may exert greater control. In the absence of explicitly comparative studies, in which different species are tested with the same stimuli under similar conditions, it is not possible to determine how much of the variation in the control of classification is due to species differences and how much is due to differences in the stimuli, training, or testing conditions. We tested rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta) and orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus and Pongo abelii) in identical tests in which images were modified to determine which stimulus features controlled classification. Monkeys and orangutans were trained to classify full color images of birds, fish, flowers, and people; they were later given generalization tests in which images were novel, black and white, black and white line drawings, or scrambled. Classification in these primate species was controlled by multiple stimulus attributes, both global and local, and the species behaved similarly.     

The anticipated future of counselling psychology in the United States: A Delphi poll

A Delphi poll of the institutional members of the Council of Counselling Psychology Training Programmes in the United States revealed anticipations regarding the future of the speciality in relation to three broad areas of contemporary concern. These included the speciality's anticipated core identity, the future role of science and research training in the speciality, and its probable developments in relation to professional training. In general, a commitment to cultural diversity and life-span development occupied pre-eminent positions in relation to the speciality's anticipated identity. Significant attention to methodological diversity and scientific and professional reform were also noted within the context of continuing challenges to the speciality's identity and its future.     

Separation-individuation as a family transactional process in the transition to parenthood

This is a study of the impact of prebirth level of parental and marital individuation on the course of parent-infant and infant development during the first postnatal year. Support was found for the first hypothesis, namely, that a couple's composite individuation profile, taking into account the prebirth separation-individuation of the father and the mother, and their marriage, would be associated with positive infant development and parent-infant transactions related to separation-individuation and mutuality during the first postnatal year. A second hypothesis, that maternal individuation would most strongly predict infant and parent-infant development at 6 months, while paternal individuation would emerge at 1 year as a strong predictor, was not supported. It was found instead that prebirth maternal and paternal individuation were equally strong predictors at six months, while maternal individuation was the primary predictor at 12 months. Other findings on the direct and indirect associations between prebirth parental and marital individuation and postnatal parent-infant transactions suggest that early separation-individuation processes result from a complex configuration of triadic mother-father-infant transactions.     

Exploring Exceptions and Discovering Solutions: A Case Presentation of Autism and the Family

As the prevalence of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) continues to rise, there is a rapidly increasing need for treatment services among individuals diagnosed with ASD and families. Currently, the majority of the evidence-based treatments, such as Applied Behavior Analysis, overlook the notable systemic effects of ASD and maintain a problem-focused lens. There is a growing body of research calling for strength-based, relational interventions that build on existing resources to enhance coping, efficacy, and well-being among families affected by ASD. Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) is a widely practiced clinical approach that is increasingly being used among clinicians to address the systemic effects of developmental disabilities in the family. However, particular modifications to specific interventions may better accommodate autism-associated deficits in executive functioning (e.g., goal development and impulsivity), perspective taking, or restricted interests when using an SFBT approach. This article offers recommendations for adapting a solution-focused approach by modifying commonly used SFBT interventions to address family-driven treatment goals using a collaborative stance with families of children with ASD. A case presentation is included to demonstrate SFBT as informed by the unique challenges and inherent resources of families affected by ASD that have been identified in the extant literature.