Values and psychotherapy: a review of the literature

Scientific Status of Technical Eclecticism: A Critical Note

This paper attempts to clarify claims that technical eclecticism is non-scientific. It is argued that modern philosophy of science has more in common with Lazarus' work than with his “scientific” critics. However, note is taken of the underlying assumption of empiricism that characterizes technical eclecticism and suggestions are made in the hope of drawing clinician's attention to an orientation more broadly based.

Offender rehabilitation as a value-laden process

This article investigates some of the primary assumptions and values that underpin correctional practice in the area of offender rehabilitation. It is suggested that values are reflected in offenders' and clinicians' fundamental beliefs about the rehabilitative process and as such underlie their various actions. This article identifies three areas in which values may be important (organisational values about crime and punishment, professional values, and personal values) and discusses each in relation to its relevance for rehabilitative practice. It is concluded that despite the apparent role of values in the correctional domain, very little is known about the values of those who deliver rehabilitative programs and how these might influence rehabilitative outcomes.

Psychotherapists' religious beliefs and their perception of the psychotherapy process

In a comparison of religious and nonreligious psychotherapists' perceptions of a portion of a psychotherapeutic session no significant differences were found on the Vanderbilt Psychotherapy Process Scale for four groups of therapists designated according to their scores on three religious questionnaires. While the results suggest attitudes toward religion are not reflected in therapists' practice of psychotherapy, limitations of the study indicate the need for more rigorous testing of this possibility.

Values and therapy orientations of psychotherapy trainees: a twelve-year update

Psychotherapy orientations, self-declared fortes in conducting therapy, and interpersonal values were studied among psychiatry residents and psychology interns in the late 1960s and early 1980s. A distinct pattern of psychotherapy orientations and fortes emerged which transcended professional backgrounds and proved stable across generations, despite some interactions between training and time. Subjects' professed areas of expertise were closely aligned with their beliefs about what methods are most effective in psychotherapy, and both these variables were significantly associated with their value profiles. The correlation matrix suggested a three-factor model of related psychotherapy and value orientations surrounding the three predominant modalities: insight, corrective emotional experiences, and learning. It was proposed that the data support the importance of value dimensions in contributing to psychotherapists' adoption of specific treatment strategies and their developing expertise in corresponding techniques.

The therapeutic value of psychotherapists' values and therapy orientations

This study investigated novice psychotherapists' personal values and therapy orientations as a therapist variable affecting their therapeutic rapport with psychotic patients. Both types of therapist characteristics were found significantly related to their initial success in terms of rapport with patients, while psychological differentiation and A-B types (Whitehorn and Betz 1954) were not so related. "Equilitarianism" among the values, expressive-experiential qualities among self-declared fortes, and directiveness among therapy orientations were the specific areas found associated with therapists' initial rapport. Conversely, emphasis on "identification" and "suggestive powers" as modes of change produced inverse correlations with success. The results underscore the importance of these variables as therapist attributes but do not necessarily argue for the absolute or intrinsic advantage of these values and doctrines. The composite picture which emerged of the effective therapists suggested equalitarianism combined with some degree of individualism and eclecticism underlying their personal and professional orientations. This may reflect the prevailing actual pragmatism in the professional community, even though it may contrast with their declared ideological loyalties.

Beyond empiricism

It is suggested that the question of goals in psychotherapy is a value-laden choice that is logically prior to the choice of techniques. It is argued that techniques whose outcome is not empirically verifiable should not necessarily be rejected.