Feedback Informed Treatment: Evidence‐Based Practice Meets Social Construction

This article explores the challenges presented by the mandate for evidence‐based practice for family therapists who identify with the philosophical stance of social construction. The history of psychotherapy outcome research is reviewed, as are current findings that provide empirical evidence for an engaged, dialogic practice. The authors suggest that the binary between empiricism and social construction may be unhinged by understanding empiricism as a particular discursive frame (i.e., a particular way of talking, acting, and being in the world), one of many available as a way of understanding and talking about our work. Through a case vignette, the authors introduce the evidence‐based practice of Feedback Informed Treatment as an elaboration of social construction, and as an example of bridging the gap between the discursive frames of empiricism and social construction.     

Expanding the Therapy Paradigm with Queer Couples: A Relational Intersectional Lens

North American and global cultures in general—and the field of Couple and Family Therapy in particular—have made significant strides toward recognizing and validating LGBTQ identities and relationships. However, clinical assessment and conceptualization of queer couples still lack the complexity needed to encompass the issues involved in treatment. Existing literature provides clinicians a basic understanding of queer couples and the dynamics that make them unique from nonqueer couples. However, much of this knowledge has been normed on White middle‐class couples and has rarely included couples with transgender or bisexual members. This article invites clinicians and researchers to apply a feminist model of intersectionality to understand queer couples. Our proposed intersectional lens considers multiple axes of identity and power and their interrelationships (Crenshaw, 1989, 1991). We argue that intersectionality is important for understanding all identities, whether privileged or marginalized (Falicov, 2003). This application of the concept of intersectionality is unique in its relational focus, emphasizing how partners’ complex individual identities overlap with and intersect with one another. Additionally, this lens considers how the therapists’ and clients’ multidimensional identities intersect. Three case studies are presented to illustrate application of the intersectional lens. In each case, exploring the partners’ multiple social locations, their influences on one another, and the therapist's intersections of identity all proved critical to the direction of therapy.     

Spiritual coaching in cancer patients: treating the spirit as well as the disease

Interest in the exploration of spirituality in medical practice has been growing recently due to some studies suggesting its role in the improvement of patient well-being and quality of life. This project examined the feasibility of providing spiritual coaching with patients in an outpatient Radiation Oncology clinic setting. The purpose of spiritual coaching was to provide patients with opportunities to explore their current spiritual lives, increase their involvement in spiritually enhancing activities, and expand their spiritual opportunities. Quality-of-life measurements focused on feelings of hopefulness and distress were used in patients undergoing radiation treatment for cancer. This study suggests that there is a potential benefit for spiritual coaching in the care of cancer patients, and future studies will be done to further el ucidate the ationship of spirituality and quality of life in this population.     

Using a metaperspective to clarify the structural-narrative debate in family therapy

The debate in family therapy between structural and narrative therapists often seems irreconcilable. Drawing from work in theoretical sociology that identifies the basic structure of existing social theory, a metaperspective is introduced to clarify a discussion between leading figures in the debate. Disparate views of family interactions are examined in terms of more fundamental disagreements about the center of attention in therapy. Narrative and structural modes of presentation are examined as separate traditions that could not be further apart conceptually. Efforts to identify common ground are discussed in terms of more significant differences that are minimized by drawing out similarities. This analysis provides a framework for standing outside entrenched arguments to see more clearly the unique contributions of each approach.     

Kinematic assessment of treadmill running using different body-weight support harnesses

10 male collegiate runners (M age = 21.4, SD = 1.5 yr.) ran on a treadmill with no body-weight support (BWS), 20% BWS, and 40% BWS conditions. In addition, they wore three different commercially available harnesses at the 20% and 40% BWS conditions. The aim was to run on the treadmill at a fast speed while maintaining an adequate step length. The purpose was to investigate how each harness changed running gait, and the differences in running gait between the harnesses with various body-weight support. Analysis of variance indicated significant restriction of upper body torso rotation between the harnesses at the 40% BWS conditions. Body-weight support resulted in a longer stride, decreased cadence, less vertical displacement of the center of mass, and diminished hip and ankle joint excursions. These changes indicated that increased body-weight support results in longer steps with the foot contacting the belt for a shorter period of time with less leg angular changes throughout the running cycling.     

Sexual Permissiveness: A Mozambique–France Comparison

The present study compared sexual permissiveness between African adults and European adults. The 301 participants (154 males, 147 females) living in the area of Maputo, Mozambique, and the 309 participants (157 males, 152 females) living in the area of Toulouse, France, were presented with the Portuguese and French versions of 7 permissiveness items taken from the Sexual Attitudes Scale devised by Hendrick & Hendrick (1987 ). Permissiveness scores were shown to be lower among Mozambican participants than among French participants. A clear effect of religious involvement on permissiveness was also demonstrated, and this effect was of the same magnitude in both samples.     

Learning Under Conditions of Action Information Feedback

Methodological and empirical issues in research on action information feedback (AIF) are discussed, with particular reference to the procedures and results of Annett (1970). Positioning responses practiced under conditions of AIF training are learned, though generally less well than under terminal IF conditions. Effects obtained as a result of AIF training may be subject to variations in movement extent required, gain and other transformations, frequency, temporal locus, and mode of augmentation, many aspects of which remain to be systematically studied.