Paul R. Springer

Therapy with Muslim Couples and Families: Basic Guidelines for Effective Practice

Despite the growing numbers of Muslims in the United States, there is a scarcity of research dealing with mental health practitioners working with Muslim families. This lack of research may leave clinicians unprepared to adequately help Muslim patients and families faced with discrimination and misunderstanding, which may inadvertently lead to the perpetuation of biases in therapy. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is (a) to provide mental health practitioners with foundational information regarding the Islamic faith and the values of the traditional Muslim families and (b) to provide culturally sensitive guidelines for clinical practice.

Training for Collaboration: Collaborative Practice Skills for Mental Health Professionals

The purpose of the study was to identify skills that mental health practitioners need for successful collaborative practice in medical settings. Known experts in the field of collaborative health care completed a survey designed to elicit their suggestions about what is needed for successful collaborative care practice. Through qualitative analysis, a set of 56 skills was developed. These skills are organized into three general categories of competency: (a) skills for working in a medical setting; (b) skills for working with patients; and (c) skills for collaborating with healthcare providers.

A Phenomenological Study of Family Needs Following the Suicide of a Teenager

The objective of this phenomenological study was to develop an understanding of family needs following the suicide of a teenager. Six parent units living in the Midwest who lost a teenager to suicide were interviewed. Participants indicated several key themes that describe a parents needs following the suicide of a teenager. These needs were organized into 6 main categories: (a) support by listening and responding, (b) support from another suicide survivor, (c) support in finding direction, (d) support when viewing the deceased teen, (e) support in remembering the teen, and (f) support in parents giving back to the community.

Portuguese Translation and Validation of the Revised Dyadic Adjustment Scale

The absence of a translated and validated instrument for measuring marital satisfaction in Brazil, the largest country in South America and fifth most populous country in the world, is a significant barrier for research and mental health service delivery. The purpose of this study was to translate and validate a marital satisfaction scale into Portuguese that would have both empirical credibility and cultural relevance in Brazil. A six-step serial approach was used to simultaneously translate and culturally validate the Revised Dyadic Adjustment Scale (RDAS). The translated instrument (RDAS-P) demonstrated good psychometric properties during field testing.

Attitudes and beliefs of marriage and family therapists regarding psychotropic drugs and therapy

Clinical members of AAMFT were solicited by means of a randomized multi-staged clustering technique to identify their attitudes and beliefs regarding psychotropic drugs. All participants were blind to the overall purpose of the study (n = 322) and were directed to read a clinical vignette and then identify what course of action they would take with the client. They were then asked to complete a small questionnaire regarding their attitudes and beliefs regarding psychotropic drugs. Results of the study showed that 35.7% of the clinicians identified medication and a medication referral as a viable treatment option they might pursue with a client meeting criteria for major depressive episode. Clinicians who reported having a dedicated university class (17.2%) in psychopharmacology were more likely to identify medication referral as a treatment option. However, 80% of the AAMFT clinicians we surveyed reported that they were not adequately trained about psychotropic medications in their graduate programs. Further implications regarding diagnostic practices are also discussed, as 26% of clinicians failed to explicitly diagnose the client in the case vignette with depression.

Global Mental Health in Action: Reducing Disparities One Community at a Time

There are great disparities in mental health care around the world. Traditional approaches to mental health care have not been found to be transferrable to many parts of the world and are inadequate to address these disparities. Unconventional approaches are needed that match the traditions of care-seeking and care-giving within the communities where they are delivered. The authors review the global mental health literature and discuss how marriage and family therapists are in a particularly good position to have worldwide impact on mental health disparities. Five principles of global mental health are presented along with an example of how these principles are applied through the Reducing Mental Health Disparities One Community at a Time (RD1CT) model.

An Exploration of the Construction of Commitment Leading to Marriage

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore how newly married couples construct and reconstruct commitment through events in courtship and early marriage. Fifteen newly married couples, 30 participants, were interviewed individually. Through the use of grounded theory six different themes (friendship, gradual process, positive examples, negative examples, planning for the future, and words of affirmation) emerged in the construction, origination, and communication of commitment. The results of this study have specific implications for theory, research, and practice with young adult couples. The concept of resilient commitment is introduced and briefly discussed.

Therapy With Immigrant Muslim Couples: Applying Culturally Appropriate Interventions and Strategies

Despite the steady increase of Muslims in America, there is a scarcity of research for mental health professionals who wish to work with Muslim couples. The goal of this article is to provide mental health therapists the common features of Muslim marriages and how they are influenced by the religious and social context, with clinical implications for couples therapy interventions being discussed.

Using Experiential Interventions With Distance Technology: Overcoming Traditional Barriers

ABSTRACT Advances in technology have made tele-mental health an important solution and reality to address mental health disparities, especially among underserved regions in the U.S. In fact, the benefits of tele-mental health are varied, and have been shown to significantly reduce symptoms for a variety of mental disorders, including depression, PTSD and anger problems. While tele-mental health is equally effective as traditional face-to-face treatment in relation to symptom reduction and patient satisfaction, the medium limits how psychotherapy is conducted. To overcome these limitations therapists must accommodate how they provide therapy, which requires unique skills. This paper will introduce the application of experiential techniques as a way to engage patients and overcome the traditional barriers associated to delivering mental health via distance technology. Types of experiential interventions, as well as tips for using these interventions through tele-mental delivery will be discussed.

Removing the “mystery” in therapy: transparency as a continuous intervention in family psychotherapy

ABSTRACT When clients attend therapy, there is often “mystery” regarding the therapist’s model, use of specific interventions, and how change occurs in the therapy room. Unlike therapist’s use of self-disclosure, which is the exposure of the therapist’s personal thoughts, feelings, and experiences, this article introduces a new concept—therapeutic transparency. Therapeutic transparency allows an open dialogue between therapist and client regarding how change occurs and the tenets of the therapist’s model. This article discusses the importance of being transparent in the therapy process and five steps that therapists should engage in to help remove mystery and increase client participation.