Katherine Tyson

Doing Good Science Without Sacrificing Good Values: Why the Heuristic Paradigm is the Best Choice for Social Work

Social work today faces a crucial watershed: Will the field continue to promulgate unsound and detrimental beliefs about social work research and knowledge, or will the field fully embrace the heuristic paradigm and thereby realize its true potential as a first-rate science committed to humanistic ideals? Proponents of unsound and detrimental beliefs have obscured the choice for social workers by systematically and thoroughly misrepresenting the heuristic paradigm, making unwarranted and misleading claims for the paradigms to which it is opposed (logical empiricism and relativism), and confusing the issues at stake for the field. Accordingly, this article helps social workers recognize the tenets and implications of each of the three paradigms for research that social work has available to it—the heuristic paradigm, logical empiricism, and relativism—so that social workers can make a truly informed choice about the best approach to knowledge in their field.

Using the Teacher-Student Relationship to Help Children Diagnosed as Hyperactive: An Application of Intrapsychic Humanism

An original new psychology, intrapsychic humanism, offers a synthesis of research findings about children labeled hyperactive and principles for understanding and helping hyperactive children in classroom settings. Clinical and educational experience has shown that the intrapsychic humanism approach is an effective alternative to stimulant drugs and behaviorism—without negative side effects, it strengthens childrens autonomous capacity to form constructive relationships and to enjoy learning. Based on recognizing the different motives children experience in learning, the intrapsychic humanism approach helps teachers regulate childrens unwanted behaviors in a compassionate way, while also improving the childrens learning ability. The data draw from the authors consultation with teachers, psychotherapy with children, and counseling with parents.

The understanding and treatment of childhood hyperactivity: Old problems and new approaches

Abstract Current research findings as well as both public protests and lawsuits by parent groups demonstrate the increasing dissatisfaction with prevailing approaches to the diagnosis and treatment of the syndrome termed “childhood hyperactivity.” First, this study summarizes a comprehensive review of research about the syndrome, and elaborates the research and practice issues that give rise to the contemporary controversy. Then, a promising, comprehensive new theory of child development, psychopathology, and treatment — intrapsychic humanism — is applied to the psychosocial treatment of children labelled hyperactive and their families in mental health, educational, and child welfare settings.

An Empowering Approach to Crisis Intervention and Brief Treatment for Preschool Children

This paper presents an approach to crisis intervention and brief treatment for young children based on the new psychology, intrapsychic humanism. After presenting central theoretical principles, these principles are applied and treatment guidelines demonstrated in the treatment process of a three-year-old child named Paul. The research design for the case study is naturalistic uses qualitative methods of data analysis, and draws from the heuristic paradigm (a postpositivist metatheory of social and behavioral research).

Therapeutic management of violence in residential care for severely mentally ill clients: An application of intrapsychic humanism∗

Abstract The innovative psychology, intrapsychic humanism, is applied to formulate guidelines for effectively managing violent symptoms of severely mentally ill clients in residential settings, with the aims of: 1) helping staff reduce client violence; and 2) helping clients regulate their violent behavior. Using intrapsychic humanism, staff can understand, anticipate, and respond therapeutically to client violence. Triggers of violence, such as aversive reactions to pleasure and destructive reactions to real losses are described. Residential program structures that strengthen clients’ constructive motives and staffs caregiving motives are outlined.

Developing Compassionate Communities Through the Power of Caregiving Relationships

Abstract To bring about compassionate communities, helping professionals need robust understandings of human nature and how humans acquire stable self-regulation and self-worth. Intrapsychic humanisms discoveries about human development, the nature of psychopathology, and an effective therapeutic process make it possible to offer effective treatments and to effectively treat people heretofore mislabeled ‘untreatable.’ These discoveries show how caregiving relationships (between caregivers and children and between clients and helpers) enable individuals to develop their innate motive for stable self-regulation of their motives and their well-being, so they can in turn be partners in bringing about compassionate, healing communities.