Showing papers by "João Salgado published in 2021"

Flexibility between immersion and distancing: A dynamic pattern with effect on depressive symptoms.

Abstract: Objective: Recent studies on immersion (first-person perspective) and distancing (third-person perspective) in psychotherapy have shown the potential of both perspectives in the treatment of depres...

“Let’s Dance”: A Dialogical Proposal for Analyzing Interactions and Positions in Couples Therapy

Abstract: The theory of the dialogical self, which is based upon the metaphor of the self as a dialogue between different voices and I-positions, conceptualizes the structure and functioning of the self as a...

Fluctuation in the assimilation of problematic experiences: A comparison of two contrasting cases of Emotion Focused Therapy

Abstract: The assimilation model suggests that therapeutic change occurs through a gradual assimilation of problematic experiences. Previous case studies have suggested that both good- and poor-outcome cases exhibit a fluctuating pattern of assimilation progress, characterized by advances and setbacks. Our study examined more closely how this fluctuating pattern is related to symptom change across therapy. We analyzed the longitudinal relations among assimilation ratings, instability (fluctuation) in assimilation ratings, and clinical symptom intensity in two contrasting cases of emotion-focused therapy for depression, one good and one poor outcome. We used the assimilation of problematic experiences scales (APES) to measure assimilation and the outcome- questionnaire (OQ-10) to measure clinical symptom intensity. To assess assimilation instability, we used a fluctuation measure that calculated the amplitude and the frequency of changes in assimilation levels. The results showed that in the good-outcome case, assimilation levels and instability tended to increase and symptom intensity tended to decrease, particularly in the final phase of treatment. In the poor-outcome case, assimilation levels and instability did not change much across sessions.

Helping Clients Victimized by Intimate Partners Through Stages of Change: An Emotion-Focused Approach

Abstract: Intimate partner violence results in extensive negative mental health outcomes including depression, posttraumatic stress, and anxiety. Moreover, victimized partners who experience cumulative episodes of abuse over time can also present severe affect dysregulation and interpersonal difficulties. Preliminary evidence for existing psychological treatments shows that these are globally effective on a symptomatic level and in reducing revictimization. Nonetheless, systematic reviews show high attrition rates and suggest that future interventions need to address a wider range of emotional difficulties and contextual challenges according to readiness for change. In this article, our goal is to contribute to the development of more responsive interventions that are tailored to individual experiences of violence with a focus on personal values, self-determination, and autonomy, as well as promoting adaptive coping and safety. More specifically, we describe how the intervention principles and experiential tasks of a neohumanistic model, emotion-focused therapy, can be integrated into a mediating readiness for change framework to help victimized clients receiving psychological treatment. We address four main problematic content-affective states that may hinder the therapeutic progress (interrupting fear of change, decisional pain, overwhelming safety concerns, and long-term interpersonal injuries), their association with stages of change, and how they can be resolved in-session using emotion-focused principles and interventions. The implications for future research are also discussed.

What is the effect of emotional processing on depression? A longitudinal study.

Abstract: Emotional processing is an empirically established predictor of pre-post therapy improvement in depression. However, its relationship to symptom alleviation over time requires clarification. To clarify the contribution of emotional processing to gradual symptom improvement, we explored both (1) the effect of emotional processing on pre-post therapy changes in depressive symptoms (final outcome) and (2) its association with the intensity of clinical symptoms across sessions (session-by-session outcome). These relationships were estimated in a sample of 50 depressed clients treated with cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) or emotion-focused therapy (EFT). Emotional processing was measured by the Experiencing Scale during Emotion Episodes in five sessions taken across therapy. As expected, we found that a greater increase in emotional processing during treatment predicted a greater pre-post therapy improvement in depressive symptoms. Higher levels of emotional processing predicted next-session lower intensity on clinical symptoms, but the intensity of symptoms contributed to explaining the subsequent level of emotional processing achieved. Our observations suggest that clients' capabilities to process their emotions may both facilitate and be promoted by gradual improvement in symptoms. These results suggest the reciprocal predictive influence of emotional processing and symptoms on the therapeutic change in depression.