Counting black sheep: Contextualizing therapeutic relations

In this paper we draw on feminist and post-colonial theory to situate an account of a six-month therapy between a black, Asian woman therapist and a woman patient of mixed parentage, within contemporary Britain. We draw on this analysis to further the debates between psychotherapeutics and social theory, challenging each in three ways. First, in relation to the literature on culture, class, gender and sexuality in psychotherapy, we indicate how these enter into the therapeutic relation in distinct and intersecting ways, which, second, challenge the separation between inner and outer worlds frequently maintained within psychotherapy circles. Third, in terms of the correlative challenge psychotherapeutic perspectives pose for social theorists and activists, we highlight how the therapist's constructive and explicit use of her power and socio-cultural position was central to the progress of this client's therapy. Finally, we reflect on the broader questions around the theorizing of culture and gender within psychotherapy, including the available positions and representations of black therapists as well as black patients.     

Televised Sexual Content and Parental Mediation: Influences on Adolescent Sexuality

Little research has been conducted to examine the influence of exposure to televised sexual content on adolescent sexuality or how parental intervention may reduce negative effects of viewing such content. This study uses self-report data from 1,012 adolescents to investigate the relations among exposure to sexually suggestive programming, parental mediation strategies, and three types of adolescent sexuality outcomes: participation in oral sex and sexual intercourse, future intentions to engage in these behaviors, and sex expectancies. As predicted, exposure to sexual content was associated with an increased likelihood of engaging in sexual behaviors, increased intentions to do so in the future, and more positive sex expectancies. Often, parental mediation strategies were a significant factor in moderating these potential media influences.     

An Approach to Standardization of Rorschach Form-level

The Rorschachs of three cases of ambulatory anorexia nervosa patients showed striking quantitative and qualitative similarities. Analysis of the patterning prompted a diagnosis of conversion hysteria with repressed orality as the suspected dynamism. It was suggested that the Rorschach might prove useful for diagnosing this hysteroid subgroup of patients for the purpose of differential treatment.     

A Review of: “The Use of Dreams in Couple Counseling”

Avalanche: Heretical Reflections on the Dark and the Light. By W. Brugh Joy, M. D. New York: Ballantine, 1990.

Carnal Acts. By Nancy Mairs. New York: Harper Collins Publishers, 1990.

Anne Heath is a free-lance writer and artist with a background in journalism, poetry, and radio drama. She is currently working on a book about travel as a rite-of-passage for women in mid-life.

The Untouched Key. By Alice Miller. New York: Doubleday, 1990.

“To blame is to hold on to anger as though it could compensate for what we lost. Nothing can. Only griming can heal us…”

Crisis Intervention Verbatim. By Nira Kfir. (1989). New York: Hemisphere Publishing.

The Japanese Psyche. By Hayao Kawai. Dallas, Texas: Spring Publications, 1988.

The Psychology of C. G. Jung: Vol. 111. Consciousness. By C. A. Meier. Boston: Sigo Press, 1989.

Progress without Loss of Soul: TO-ward a Wholistic Approach Modernization Planning. B y Theodor Abt. Wilmette, Illinois: Chiron Publications, 1989.

Exploring the World of Lucid Dreaming. By Stephen LaBerge and Howard Reingold. New York: Valentine books, 1990.

“The rapid acceptance of lucid dreaming suggests that it will have a significant impact on the way that dreams are perceived for both the general public and the scientific community.”

Body and Soul: The Other Side of Illness. By Albert Kreinheder. Toronto: Inner Cities. 1991.

Wisdom of the Heart: Working With Women's Dreams. By Karen A. Signell. New York: Bantam Books, 1990.     

Childhood Domestic Violence Exposure among a Community Sample of Adult Perpetrators: What Mediates the Connection?

The association between childhood exposure to domestic violence and later intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetration in adulthood has been well established in the literature. However, the literature examining the factors of exposure that contribute to perpetration in adulthood is fraught with mixed findings, with some studies finding a direct link between childhood domestic violence exposure and later IPV perpetration and others ruling out a link after controlling for other contextual barriers such as community violence and socioeconomic status. This study examined 124 non-treatment-seeking and unadjudicated adult male IPV perpetrators and found exposure to domestic violence in childhood contributes to the normalization of violence, which could predict future adult IPV perpetration. Practice implications are discussed, namely primary and secondary prevention of intimate partner violence.     

Why people rehearse their memories: Frequency of use and relations to the intensity of emotions associated with autobiographical memories

People may choose to rehearse their autobiographical memories in silence or to disclose their memories with other people. This paper focuses on five types of memory rehearsal: involuntary rehearsal, rehearsal to maintain an event memory, rehearsal to re-experience the emotion of an event, rehearsal to understand an event, or rehearsal for social communication. A total of 337 participants recalled event memories, provided estimates of how often each event was rehearsed and for what reason, and rated the affective characteristics of the events. Rehearsal frequency was highest for social communication and lowest for rehearsals aimed at understanding events. For many rehearsal types, rehearsal was more frequent for positive than negative events. Frequently rehearsed events tended to show less affective fading. The pattern changed when events were socially rehearsed. For positive events, increased social rehearsal was related to a reduction in affective fading. For negative events, increased social rehearsal was associated with increased affective fading.     

Patients’ illness schemata of hypertension: The role of beliefs for the choice of treatment

It has long been believed that adult somatic complaints are associated with early family dysfunction. Yet, few studies have examined this hypothesis in community samples, where medically unexplained symptom complaints are estimated to be very common. Given the potential population-wide impact of subthreshold symptom complaints as well as questions about the extent to which findings with patient populations generalize to broader samples of community adults, the present study examines the influence of distal family factors on current adult somatic complaints relative to demographic and other psychosocial predictors. Results based on multiple linear regression analysis indicated that, after controlling for the other variables, family-of-origin functioning did not predict adult somatic complaints. However, self-reported symptoms of current depressed mood and low internal locus of control were significantly linked to somatic complaints (p?=0.001). These results lend support to questions about the generalizability of findings based on psychiatric groups to broader community samples, highlight the robust relationship between contemporaneous attributions of lower internal control, depressed mood, and somatic complaints, and suggest that early family environment may not be the most important focus of attention for health professionals providing care to adults in the community.     

A self‐determination model of childhood exposure,perceived prevalence,justification, and perpetration of intimate partner violence

The present research was designed to evaluate self‐determination theory as a framework for integrating factors associated with intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetration. The proposed model suggests that childhood exposure to parental violence may influence global motivational orientations which, in turn, results in greater cognitive biases (overestimating the prevalence of IPV and justification of IPV) which, in turn, contribute to an individual's decision to use abusive behavior. Participants included 124 men who had engaged in abusive behavior toward an intimate partner. Results provided reasonable support for the proposed model and stronger support for a revised model suggesting that controlled orientation, rather than autonomy orientation, appears to play a stronger role in the association between childhood exposure to parental violence and cognitive biases associated with abusive behavior.     

Gender Influences on Preschool Children's Social Problem-Solving Strategies

The authors investigated gender influences on the nature and competency of preschool children's social problem-solving strategies. Preschool-age children (N = 179; 91 boys, 88 girls) responded to hypothetical social situations designed to assess their social problem-solving skills in the areas of provocation, peer group entry, and sharing or taking turns. Results indicated that, overall, girls' responses were more competent (i.e., reflective of successful functioning with peers) than those of boys, and girls' strategies were less likely to involve retaliation or verbal or physical aggression. The competency of the children's responses also varied with the gender of the target child. Findings are discussed in terms of the influence of gender-related social experiences on the types of strategies and behaviors that may be viewed as competent for boys and girls of preschool age.