Clinical researchers who have an active clinical practice are rare. Therapists who conduct therapy research are rarer still. Why is this the case? And why is the study of the practice often so far from the actual practice? If the practice and research worlds of therapy are to be bridged, might clinician-researchers—professionals who do both—play an important role in this process? A career engaged both with providing therapy and researching therapy is unique. This book combines original empirical work, theory, and first-person scholarly narratives authored by clinical mental health professionals in the early, middle, and later stages of their careers as they highlight the rewards, challenges, and potent areas of synergy they experience as clinician-researchers. This book was originally published as a special issue of Counselling Psychology Quarterly.

This book provides readers with essential information on the foundations of psychotherapy research, and on its applications to the study of both psychotherapy process and outcome. The aim is to stimulate a reflection on these issues in a way that will benefit researchers and clinicians, as well as undergraduate and graduate students, at different levels and from different perspectives. Accordingly, the book presents a balanced mix of chapters summarizing the state of the art in the field from different viewpoints and covering innovative topics and perspectives, reflecting some of the most established traditions and, at the same time, emerging approaches in the field in several countries. The contributors, who were invited from among the experts in our national and international professional networks, also represent a healthy mix of leading figures and young researchers. The first part of the book addresses a number of fundamental issues in psychotherapy research at a historical, philosophical, and theoretical level. The second part of the book is concerned with research on psychotherapy processes; in this regard, both quantitative and qualitative approaches are given equal consideration in order to reflect the growing relevance of the latter. The book’s third and last part examines research on psychotherapy outcomes, primarily focusing on quantitative approaches. Offering a balanced mix of perspectives, approaches and topics, the book represents a valuable tool for anyone interested in psychotherapy research.

The wide gap between science and practice in psychotherapy is due in part to the one-way direction that has mostly defined the connection between researchers and clinicians, with researchers generating empirical knowledge with the hope that practitioners will implement it in their working environment. This traditional approach has not been optimal in addressing the day-to-day concerns of clinicians, or in providing easily generalizable practice guidelines in clinical routine. This book offers an alternative approach to psychotherapy research, based on a partnership between clinicians and researchers in different aspects of the decision, design, implementation, and dissemination of studies conducted in day-to-day practice. More specifically, it describes how to conduct practice-oriented research (POR) by presenting studies and lessons learned (in terms of obstacles faced, strategies used to overcome problems, benefits earned, and general recommendations) by eleven groups of who have been involved in POR in different settings around the world. The book provides tools to help clinicians be active participants in conducting clinically relevant studies, and set the agenda for future research. It seeks to foster collaboration between researchers and practitioners, generating knowledge that can improve our understanding of the process of change and the impact of psychotherapy. This book was originally published as a special issue of Psychotherapy Research.

Psychotherapy research is undoubtedly one of the most puzzling, diverse, com plex, controversial, and multidimensional areas tackled by clinical psycholo gists, psychiatrists, and psychiatric social workers. The numerous theoretical, methodological, and clinical-research issues dealt with by workers in the field have increased exponentially in the past three decades. To do full justice to the area, monographs in each of the specific subareas would be warranted. In this volume, we, as editors, have endeavored to present the student and interested professional and practitioner with an understanding of the most salient issues and trends confronted by the psychotherapy researcher. In order to accomplish this task, we asked our colleagues, who are experts in their respective areas, to share their current thinking with us and with you, the read ers. Thus, many theoretical viewpoints are represented, with none having a monopoly over the others. This is as it should be, given the data collected by clinical researchers at this time. We have also attempted to capture the excite ment that has permeated the field in the past 30 years or so.

While empirical, scientific research has much to offer to the practice-oriented therapist in training, it is often difficult to effectively engage the trainee, beginning practitioner, or graduate student in a subject area that can often glaze over the eyes of a reader focused on practical work. Most books about psychotherapy focus either on the process of gathering, analyzing, presenting, and discussing research results, or on conducting clinical work. What most of these texts lack is an engaging, accessible guide on how to incorporate research into practice. Research for the Psychotherapist: From Science to Practice fills that niche with an approach that bridges the gap between research and practice, presenting concise chapters that distill research findings and clearly apply them to practical issues. Jay Lebow is an accomplished practitioner and researcher in the fields of marriage and family therapy and integrative psychotherapy. In this book, he offers a focused volume that covers a range of topics. This volume should appeal to psychotherapists and students looking for an accessible, jargon-free guide to utilizing research in practical settings.

Principles of Change constitutes a new approach to evidence-based practice in psychotherapy that goes beyond the traditional and unidirectional dissemination of research, whereby clinicians are typically viewed as passive recipients of scientific findings. Based on an extensive review of literature, it first offers a list of 38 empirically based principles of change grouped in five categories: client prognostic, treatment/provider moderating, client process, therapeutic relationship, and therapist interventions. Six therapists from diverse theoretical orientations then describe, in rich and insightful detail, how they implement each of these principles. The book also offers exchanges between researchers and clinicians on several key issues, including: how similarly and differently change principles are addressed or used across a variety of treatments; and how clinicians' observations and reflections can guide future research. By presenting together these unique yet complementary experiences, Principles of Change will support synergetic advances in understanding and improving psychotherapy, laying the foundation for further collaborations and partnerships between stakeholders in mental health services.