Constructivist Psychotherapy

Constructivism represents a profound development within cognitivism, posing challenges to many traditional treatment assumptions. The author addresses the remarkable difference between traditional cognitive therapy and constructivism, including the nature of reality, the nature of knowledge, problem definition, treatment goals, assessment, treatment of emotion, and therapist style of intervention. Constructivist metatheory is briefly discussed along with the conceptual bases of the orientation. Constructivist therapy is contrasted with traditional cognitive therapy, and constructivist intervention methods are identified. The article concludes with several case examples in which constructivist methods are applied to clinical problems.

Brief Group Therapy for Alcohol Dependent Patients. A Comparison beween Relapse Prevention and Psychodynamic Therapy

Thirty-five alcohol dependent patients were followed-up one year after completion of treatment in relapse prevention groups. In terms of alcohol consumption this group had a statistically significant better outcome than a comparable group of patients given standard treatment. In a second study, 59 patients, of which a significantly larger proportion were women (63 percent), were treated in either psychodynamically- or behaviourally-oriented brief group-psychotherapy. Alcohol consumption measures showed a clear tendency in favor of the psychodynamic treatment at follow-up about 12 months after the groups ended. Both treatment types had a positive effect on the patients' alcohol consumption, but the behavioural content did not seem to be a necessary treatment ingredient for this patient group. The results indicated, however, that therapist style in terms of actively influencing the process and focussing on personal and emotionally loaded themes might be of more importance than theoretical orientation.