The Effectiveness of a Multimodal Brief Group Experiential Psychotherapy Approach

Authors

  • BRADLEY T. KLONTZ Author
  • EVE M. WOLF Author
  • ALEX BIVENS Author

Keywords:

effectiveness of therapy

Abstract

To ensure experiential psychotherapy's survival in the age of managed care, psychotherapists need to demonstrate its therapeutic effectiveness. Because of the vast number of therapeutic modalities that are experiential in nature, the authors maintain that it is essential that researchers operationalize the particular model of experiential psychotherapy that they are studying. After a review of some of the relevant outcome literature, the authors present an empirical study of the effectiveness of a multimodal brief group experiential psychotherapy approach. The authors assessed the treatment outcomes in 41 volunteer participants who completed an 8-day, residential, group-therapy treatment program based on this model. They discuss the results of the study and suggest future directions for research in that area.

References

A r , I., Theorell, T., Uvnas-Moberg, K., & Jonsson, C. (1989). Psychodrama group therapy for patients with functional gastrointestinal disorders-A controlled longterm follow-up study. Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, 51, 113119.

Beck, A. T., & Steer, R. A. (1987). Beck Depression Inventory manual. San Antonio: The Psychological Corporation.

Bumswick, S., & Knapp, R. R. (1991). Advances in research using the Personal Orientation Inventory. Journal of Social Behavior and Personality, 6(5), 311-320.

Carpenter, P., & Sandberg, S. (1985). Further psychodrama with delinquent adolescents. Adolescence, 20(79), 599-604.

Cohen, J. (1988). Statistical power analysis for the behavioral science (2nd ed.). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum.

Cummings, N. A. (1995). Impact of managed care on employment and training: A primer for survival. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 26(1), 10-15.

D'Amato, R. C., & Dean, R. S. (1988). Psychodrama research-Therapy and theory: A critical analysis of an arrested modality. Psychology in the Schools, 25(3), 305-314.

Dayton, T. (1994). The drama within: Psychodrama and experiential therapy. Deerfield Beach, FL: Health Communications.

Derogatis, L. R. (1994). Symptom Checklist-90-R: Administration, scoring, and procedures manual (3rd ed.). Minneapolis, MN: National Computer Systems.

Elliot, R., & Greenberg, L. S. (1995). Experiential therapy in practice: The processexperiential approach. In B. Bongar & L. E. Beutler (Eds.), Comprehensive textbook of psychotherapy: Theory and practice (pp. 123-139). New York: Oxford University Press.

Flomenhaft, K., & DiCori, F. (1992). Family psychodrama therapy. Journal of Family Psychotherapy, 3(4), 15-26.

Fogarty, G. J. (1994). Using the Personal Orientation Inventory to measure change in student self-actualization. Personality and Individual Differences, 173), 435 4 3 9 .

Greenberg, L., Elliot, R., & Lietaer, G. (1994). Research on experiential psychotherapies. In A. E. Bergin & S. L. Garfield (Eds.), Handbook of psychotherapy and behavior change (4th ed., pp. 509-539). New York: Wiley.

Hattie, J. (1986). A defense of the Shostrom Personal Orientation Inventory: A rejoiner to Ray. Personality and Individual Differences, 74), 593--594.

Hollon, S. D., & Beck, A. T. (1994). Cognitive and cognitive-behavioral therapies. In A. E. Bergin, & S. L. Garfield (Eds.), Handbook of psychotherapy and behavior change (4th ed., pp. 428 466). New York: Wiley.

Kaye, D. L., Dichter, H. N., & Keith, D. V. (1986). Symbolic-experiential family therapy. Individual Psychology: Journal of Adlerian Theory, Research, & Practice, 42(4), 521-536.

Kellermann P. F. (1987). Outcome research in classical psychodrama. Small Group Behavior, 18(4), 459 469.

Kipper, D. A. (1978). Trends in the research on the effectiveness of psychodrama: Retrospect and prospect. Journal of Group Psychotherapy, Psychodrama, and Sociometry, 31, 5--18.

Kipper, D. A., & Gilandi, D. (1978). Effectiveness of structured psychodrama and systematic desensitization in reducing test anxiety. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 25(6), 499-505.

Klontz, B. T. (1999). The effectivenss of the ASET model of brief intensive group experiential psychotherapy. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, Wright State University.

Lambert, M. J., Christensen, E. R., &DeJulio, S.S. (Eds.). (1983). The assessment of psychotherapy outcome. New York: Wiley.

Lambert, M. J., & Hill, C. E. (1994). Assessing psychotherapy outcomes and processes. In A. E. Bergin & S. L. Garfield (Eds.), Handbook of psychotherapy and behavioral change (4th ed., pp. 72-113). New York: Wiley.

Loftus, E. F. (1979). The malleability of human memory. American Scientist, 67, 312-320.

Mahrer, A. R. (1983). Experiential psychotherapy: Basic practices. New York: Brunner/ Mazel.

Mann, S. J. (1982). The integration of psychodrama and family therapy in the treatment of schizophrenia. Family Therapy, 9(3), 215-225.

Mehdi, P. R., Sen, A. K., & Sen Mazumdar, D. R. (1997). The usefulness of psychodrama in the treatment of depressed patients. Indian Journal of Clinical Psychology, 24(1), 82-92.

Millon, T. (1994). MCMJ-/Il manual. Minneapolis, MN: National Computer Systems.

Perrott, L.A. (1986). Using psychodramatic techniques in structural family therapy. Contemporary Family Therapy, 8(4), 279-290.

Ragsdale, K .G., Cox, R. D., Finn, P., & Eisler, R. M. (1996). Effectiveness of shortterm specialized inpatient treatment for war-related posttraumatic stress disorder: A role for adventure-based counseling and psychodrama. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 9(2), 269-283.

Ray, J. J. (1984). A caution against the use of the Shostrom Personal Orientation Inventory. Personality and Individual Differences, 5(6), 755.

Ray, J. J. (1986). Perils in clinical use of the Shostrom POI: A reply to Hattie. Personality and Individual Differences, 7(4), 591.

Seligman, M. E. P. (1996). Science as an ally of practice. American Psychologist, 5/(10), 1072-1079.

Shostrom, E. L. (1974). Personal Orientation Inventory manual: An inventory for the measurement of self-actualization. San Diego, CA: Educational and Industrial Testing Service.

Stallone, T. M. (1993). The effects of psychodrama on inmates within a structured residential behavior modification program. Journal of Group Psychotherapy, Psychodrama, and Sociometry, 46(1), 2431.

Wegscheider-Cruse, S., Cruse, J. R., & Baugher, G. (1990). Experiential therapy for co-dependency. Palo Alto, CA: Science & Behavior Books.

Weiss, A. S. ( 1991). The measurement of self-actualization: The quest for the test may be as challenging as the search for the self. In A. Jones & R. Crandall (Eds.), Handbook of self-actualization [Special Issue ]. Journal of Social Behavior and Personality, 65), 265-90.

Yalom, I. D. (1995). The theory and practice of group psychotherapy (4th ed.). New York: Basic Books.

Published

2025-03-14