Luis Botella

Chaos To Coherence: Psychotherapeutic Integration Of Traumatic Loss

Traumatic life events have the power to disrupt those self-narratives with which people order their life experience, by challenging their organization, promoting the development of problem-dominated identities, and fostering dissociation of aspects of the experience in a way that precludes its integration. We briefly consider these processes at levels ranging from the biogenetic, through the personal-agentic, to the dyadic-relational, and ultimately to cultural-linguistic levels of narrative structure, and then present the results of a grounded theory analysis of psychotherapy to reveal the pragmatic and rhetorical strategies by which it counters such disruption. Results suggest the means by which a client and therapist collaborate to help the former reconstruct the meaning of her mothers suicide, ultimately moving toward greater coherence and hopefulness in the narration of her life.

A relational constructivist approach to narrative therapy

This paper presents our understanding of narrative therapy from a relational constructivist approach, as a way to further develop the dialogue between contemporary constructivist theories and social constructionist approaches. In the first section the ten main assumptions of relational constructivism are discussed. In the second, a case study is presented in order to illustrate our therapeutic use of these assumptions.

Predictors of therapeutic outcome and process

Abstract This article presents an intensive study of the outcome and process of the psychotherapeutic treatments conducted at the Blanquerna Psychotherapy Service in Barcelona. It analyzes in detail the relation between outcome (improvement) and process (therapeutic alliance). Specifically, it discusses (a) the therapeutic process in terms of the relation between therapeutic alliance and psychotherapy outcome and (b) the effects of the temporary weakening of the therapeutic alliance and temporary symptomatic relapse on therapeutic outcome and process. Two hundred thirty-nine clients were included in the study, and the assessment instruments were the CORE Outcome Measure and the short version of the Working Alliance Inventory. In addition to good outcome of psychotherapy and maintenance of therapeutic change after treatment, the results also demonstrated the significance of different aspects of the therapeutic alliance as predictors of the therapeutic outcome and process.

A constructivist approach to the development of personal epistemic assumptions and worldviews

Abstract We discuss a constructivist model of epistemic development based on the notion of increased complexity. This model proposes that as cognitive complexity increases by means of cycles of validation and invalidation, personal epistemic assumptions shift from positivism to constructivism, and preferred worldviews shift from mechanism to organicism—as defined by Peppers (1942) taxonomy of world hypotheses. We report two studies in which we found, as predicted, a significant relationship among overall cognitive complexity, constructivist epistemic assumptions, and an organicist worldview. However, our attempt to discriminate the effects of the two theoretical dimensions of cognitive complexity (differentiation and integration) was not successful. Our data also indicate a dichotomy of ways of knowing: One is characterized by cognitive simplicity, objectvist epistemic assumptions, and a mechanistic/formistic worldview; the other is characterized by cognitive complexity, constructivist epistemic assumpti...

Increasing Responsibility, Safety, and Trust Through a Dialogical Approach: A Case Study in Couple Therapy for Psychological Abusive Behavior

This article reports an analysis of conjoint therapy for psychological intimate partner violence, treated via a dialogical approach. The article reviews current controversies surrounding this treatment modality and its outcome. The dialogical approach is presented as an appropriate method for analyzing and understanding the issue of violence, but it is emphasized that the focus on communication does not involve a return to a systemic perspective on intimate partner violence. Four important dimensions are identified as emerging in conjoint treatment for psychological intimate partner violence, namely responsibility, safety, trust, and the role of the therapists. The Dialogical Investigations of Happenings of Change method was used to analyze the transcripts of the therapy sessions. The results on these four dimensions, as identified via a dialogical method, are illustrated with transcript vignettes. Finally, there is discussion of the contribution that the dialogical approach can make in conjoint therapy for psychological intimate partner violence, with mention also of the implications for research and for clinical practice.

Allegiance effects in psychotherapy research: A constructivist approach

This paper examines the concept of allegiance effects in psychotherapy research from a constructivist approach. After considering their role in outcome and process research, a constructivist explanation of them is proposed. It is also suggested that traditional ways to control them, while necessary and sound, may not be enough. Alternatively, a call for methodological pluralism in psychotherapy research is made, especially regarding the inclusion of qualitative, hermeneutic, phenomenological and discovery oriented case studies that privilege the voice of clients and not only the researchers favoured constructs.

Routine evaluation in a psychotherapy service: The use of CORE System data

This paper presents a commentary on the contributions to this special edition of the EJCP on using clinical outcomes in routine evaluation. Some of the contributing authors’ main ideas in the papers are compared and contrasted with our own research results after six years of using the CORE System as a routine evaluation protocol.

Timekeeping is Everything 1 : Rhythm and the Construction of Meaning

Rhythm and drumming have not been explored systematically from a constructivist or a personal construct theoretical approach. This article is an exploration of the bridges between constructivism and drumming in terms of the interrelated processes of listening outwardly, listening inwardly, and the actual motoric action of playing. Listening outwardly is approached from the constructivist notion of validation and/or invalidation of anticipations. Listening inwardly is related to the bodily base of rhythm perception. Playing drums is discussed particularly in relation to the emotional expressivity of drumming. The article ends with some personal reflections.

Psychoeducational Croups With Older Adults: An Integrative Personal Construct Rationale And Some Guidelines

Abstract A psychoeducational approach is proposed as an alternative to exclusively therapeutic work with older adults in recreational settings. An integrative rationale based on personal construct theory and some general guidelines for the group leader are presented. Two possible psychoeducational group formats (guided autobiography and coping skills) are discussed.