Charles Rossiter

The Effectiveness of Two Kinds of Support Groups for Caregivers

Adult women caring for frail older relatives were assigned to peer-led or professionalled support groups or to a control condition. Compared to control participants, group participants experienced significantly greater improvements in their ability to cope with the stresses of caregiving. As with past research, few differences were found between participants in the peer-led and professional-led conditions.

Therapeutic Processes in Peer Led and Professionally Led Support Groups for Caregivers

A comparison of peer led and professionally led support groups for caregivers of frail older persons living in the community demonstrates that both types of groups are effective. Findings reveal that it was the opportunity to ventilate pent-up feelings and emotions, the validation of caregiving experiences, the affirmation of coping abilities, the encouragement for continuing to provide care and cope with the situation, the exploration of alternative caregiving arrangements, the mutual support, and the mutual sharing of information about community resources and coping strategies that appeared to be the most helpful therapeutic ingredients of both types of groups. The greater attention to problem solving work and the learning of specific coping skills in the professionally led groups was not reflected in differential outcomes in the two support group conditions.

An Evaluation of Interactive Bibliotherapy in a Clinical Setting

Assessments by ward senior staff of 25 bibliotherapy groups offered by 17 different facilitators between 1977 and 1986 at St. Elizabeth’s Hospital, Washington, D.C., were analyzed. Questionnaires completed by the staff indicate that they are consistently positive in their evaluation of bibliotherapy as a modality. The staff believe bibliotherapy promotes a higher quality of interaction among patients and that, in the hospital setting, the modality is particularly beneficial to patients who are withdrawn, socially isolated and/or have been hospitalized for many years, as well as for stabilized admissions. Patients who benefit least are those whose deficiencies in thinking, attending and verbalizing are so great as to make meaningful participation impossible.

Commonalities among the Creative Arts Therapies as a Basis for Research Collaboration.

Poetry therapy is similar to the other creative arts therapies not only in its use of creative processes and products, but also in its intrinsic positiveness, gentle indirectness, and breadth of appeal and application. These commonalities suggest that collaborative research efforts among poetry therapists and other creative arts therapists can lead to new understandings of the processes and effects of creative arts therapies.

A new criterion for selecting poems for use in poetry therapy

The effect of poem selection on therapeutic process and outcome was investigated in this qualitative study of poetry therapy. An analysis of poem-therapist-participant interaction was based on an examination of the use of three different poems by three different therapists in a variety of contexts. The authors conclude that the “success” or “failure” of poems is based in part, on what the therapist and poem ask of a client.

Contemporary Multicultural North American Poetry and Poetry Therapy.

Four recent anthologies of poetry by members of ethnic and racial groups which have been traditionally underrepresented in the poetic “canon” are analyzed. It is concluded that much contemporary multicultural North American poetry can be of value to poetry therapists who use poetry to stimulate therapeutic discussion because it is generally accessible, emphasizes narrative and often tells stories which have not previously been available in poetry. It is suggested that poetry therapists familiarize themselves with the current explosion of multicultural poetry, particularly if they work with clients whose personal!social issues are related to the clients’ race or ethnicity.

Haiku: there's more than meets the eye

This brief report contains a book review of Lee Gurgas (2003) Haiku: A poets guide and a discussion of haiku resources.This brief report contains a book review of Lee Gurgas (2003) Haiku: A poets guide and a discussion of haiku resources.

Brief Report: Long Ago and Far Away: On the Use of Classical Chinese Poetry in Poetry Therapy

This brief report presents an analysis of classical Chinese poetry with respect to its usefulness in poetry therapy.

The Therapeutic Behavior Scale: A Tool for Training, Therapist Self-Assessment, and Research.

This article reports the development of the Therapeutic Behavior Scale, a 6 item scale which is used to assess verbal therapeutic behaviors. Data reported here suggests that the TBS has adequate internal consistency, inter-rater reliability and construct validity and can be useful for training, therapist self-assessment and research about the therapeutic processes and outcomes.

Issues in creative arts therapy research: An interview with Lynn Kapitan, Ph.D., ATR-BC

In this interview, Lynn Kapitan, PhD, ATR-BC, recent Past President of the American Art Therapy Association, talks about issues in creative arts therapy research relevant to poetry therapy that are addressed in her book, Introduction To Art Therapy Research (Kapitan, 2010).