Good Moments in Gestalt Therapy: A Descriptive Analysis of two Perls Sessions

Two Gestalt therapy sessions conducted by Fritz Perls were analyzed using a category system that was recently developed for identifying in-session client behaviours that are valued by Gestalt therapists. Two hundred and ten client statements were independently rated by four judges. Descriptive analysis of the combined data revealed a common pattern of therapeutic movement. In both sessions, an initial phase dominated by building block good moments (focusing on client awareness, and expressing feeling directly to other) was followed by a phase characterized by combinations of good moments. Sustained bursts of these complex good moments led to the presence of outcome good moments in therapy. Differences between the two sessions were explored with respect to client characteristics, therapeutic alliance, and therapist interventions. The form and content of therapeutic interventions leading to good moments were examined.L'analyse descriptive des données des deux entrevues a permis de constater la présence d'un processus thérapeutique similaire. Le début des deux sessions, soit la première phase, était composée principalement par différents "bons moments" isolés. Ceux-ci constituent la pierre angulaire de la thérapie gestalt (prise de conscience, expression directe des sentiments). Dans la deuxième phase, on retrouvait des "bons moments" en combinaison. La présence continue de cette combinaison de "bons moments" reflétant l'aboutissement d'un processus thérapeutique (outcome good moments). Une analyse des différences entre les deux sessions fut effectuée en tenant compte des facteurs suivants: caractéristiques des clients, l'alliance thérapeutique et l'intervention particulière du thérapeute. La nature et la forme des interventions thérapeutiques donnant lieu à des "bons moments" furent également examinées

Childhood neglect predicts the course of major depression in a tertiary care sample: a follow-up study

Abstract Background The course of depression is poorer in clinical settings than in the general population. Several predictors have been studied and there is growing evidence that a history of childhood maltreatment consistently predicts a poorer course of depression. Methods Between 2008 and 2012, we assessed 238 individuals suffering from a current episode of major depression. Fifty percent of these (N = 119) participated in a follow-up study conducted between 2012 and 2014 that assessed sociodemographic and clinical variables, the history of childhood abuse and neglect (using the Adverse Childhood Experience questionnaire), and the course of depression between baseline and follow-up interview (using the Life Chart method). The Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV-TR was used to assess diagnosis at baseline and follow-up interview. Statistical analyses used the life table survival method and Cox proportional hazard regression tests. Results Among 119 participants, 45.4% did not recover or remit during the follow-up period. The median time to remission or recovery was 28.9 months and the median time to the first recurrence was 25.7 months. Not being married, a chronic index depressive episode, comorbidity with an anxiety disorder, and a childhood history of physical neglect independently predicted a slower time to remission or recovery. The presence of three or more previous depression episodes and a childhood history of emotional neglect were independent predictors of depressive recurrences. Conclusions Childhood emotional and physical neglect predict a less favorable course of depression. The effect of childhood neglect on the course of depression was independent of sociodemographic and clinical variables