The aim of this study was to examine what factors experienced psychotherapists emphasize as central and change developing in psychotherapy. The intention was to highlight the therapists' personal thoughts and experiences of psychotherapeutic change. By personal interviews with three cognitive and three psychodynamic psychotherapists, data was retrieved and then analysed with a qualitative phenomenological and hermeneutical approach. The study revealed great accordance between the psychotherapists regarding the importance of therapeutic relationship, factors connected to therapeutic treatment and flexibility regarding to the method of treatment. Moreover, it has been revealed that psychotherapeutic change in both treatments of psychotherapy is due to integration between emotional and cognitive processes.

The purpose of this study was to examine interpersonal problems and its relationship to the working alliance in psychotherapy. To examine this, data was used from Umeå and Lund University psychology practice client database, which clients responded to by using the self-assessment scales Inventory of Interpersonal Problems Circumplex Scales and the Working Alliance Inventory. The sample consisted of 201 participants that answered the questionnaires both before and after psychotherapy. A second sample consisted of 93 clients who specifically sought help for interpersonal problems. Results showed that the level of interpersonal problems before and after psychotherapy changes.

The purpose of this essay is to examine Cognitive and Psychodynamic theory in the ways they approach spirituality. How and whether or not the personal view of spirituality affects the professional role of the psychologist is investigated. Data from six semi-structured interviews with psychologists have been collected and analysed in a qualitative, phenomenological method. The results reflect two main topics and several subsequent headlines with regards to: 1) the psychologist's professional approach and 2) the area in between the psychologist's personal and professional approach to spirituality. From empirical studies and relevant theories, a discussion is held about the psychological approaches to spirituality in psychotherapy.

    Abstract The aim of this paper is to highlight experiences gained by psychotherapists in their work with young adults.  Aspects looked at include: recurring themes, the process of diagnosing young adults, the therapeutic alliance, and the therapeutic techniques.  Six experienced psychodynamic therapists were interviewed, and a semi-structured interview method was used. The results show a high level of agreement between the therapists as to their experiences and conclusions of psychotherapy with young adults.Results presented in this paper suggest that there is a difference between psychodynamic therapy used with young adults, and the more traditional psychodynamic therapy.  The most important difference turned out to be the approach of the therapist toward the patient, where a more active and distinct approach by the therapist to the here-and-now situation was to be preferred. All six therapists came out strongly against the use of the DSM manual when diagnosing young adults. The importance of understanding young adults and their difficulties from a psychological development point of view was stressed, as well as the importance of taking the approach that the years of young adulthood bring their own issues and concerns. It is clear from these interviews that there is a strong need for the establishment of institutions or centres specifically tailored to meet the needs of young adults for psychotherapeutic treatment at an early stage and in an adequate way, in order to avoid unnecessary ?pathologising? of their specific problems.  .

AbstractA systematic replication study was conducted at the training site at the University of Karlstad. Student therapists performed cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) as a part of their master?s degree in psychology.  The systematic replication that took place was based on the work of Hiltunen et al. (2013), who evaluated the efficacy of CBT treatment conducted at the training site previously mentioned.

Socialstyrelsen har konstaterat att äldres psykiska hälsa är ett eftersatt område, trots att många äldre drabbas av psykiska besvär, och efterlyser behandlingsalternativ till medicinering. Man konstaterar samtidigt att det saknas undersökningar av effekten av psykoterapi för personer i högre åldrar, något som delvis kan bero på att många studier har en åldersgräns på 75 år. Tidigare studier visar också att psykoterapeuter föredrar att ta emot yngre patienter i psykoterapeutisk behandling. Studien är en beskrivning av några psykoterapeuters upplevelser av det psykoterapeutiska arbetet med personer som är 75 år och äldre.Sju psykoterapeuter intervjuades i denna kvalitativa undersökning där datainsamling skedde genom semistrukturerade intervjuer som analyserades med tematisk analys. Det som upplevs vara vanligast förekommande tema för denna åldersgrupp är förluster och skam kopplat till detta.

Can degree of degenerative brain disease be predicted with the help of measurements of cognitive deterioration?Alzheimer?s disease progresses through nerve cell break down in the brain and the simultaneous deterioration of the individual?s cognitive function. This disease is common among elderly persons. This thesis examines if the level of deterioration of cognitive function is associated with different biochemical and clinical markers for degenerative brain diseases. In addition, this thesis examines if the level of decline in cognitive functions vary between groups with different levels of degenerative brain disease.

Syftet med uppsatsen a?r att beskriva och diskutera ?Psychodynamic Movement in Analytical Music Therapy?, en metod inom analytiskt orienterad musikterapi da?r kropp och ro?relse anva?nds som terapeutiska redskap, fo?r att stimulera till o?kad kunskap om psykodynamiskt ro?relsearbete i musikterapi. Metoden ?Psychodynamic Movement in Analytical Music Therapy?, har kroppen som medium fo?r ro?relseimprovisation och kroppsuppfattning i musikterapi. Anva?ndandet av kroppen i ro?relse anses stimulera till o?kad kontakt med inre ro?relse sa?som sinnesfo?rnimmelser, ka?nslor och blockerad psykisk energi, som i sin tur anses underla?tta uttryck och erfarenhet av dessa inre processer.

The working alliance between therapist and client has been proven important for the treatment outcome in psychotherapy, as well as the therapist?s characteristics. The aim of the current study was to examine the experience of important characteristics when forming a working alliance, among psychotherapy trainees. Eight psychotherapy trainees at Umeå University were interviewed and the material was analyzed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). Characteristics described as positively impacting the working alliance were interested, empathic, warm, genuine, secure, flexible and accepting.

This paper aims to describe and discuss psychotherapy in rhetorical terms; in particular how psychotherapists can use their ethos, or person, as a means for convincing the patient, and subsequently discuss how these insights in turn can be useful for other rhetors.Classical rhetoric is commonly associated with one speaker exercising influence on an audience of many, but modern rhetoric is broader, and includes all situations where someone is attempting, by speech or in writing, to affect anyone, including the rhetor himself. With this broader definition, psychotherapy may also be considered a form of rhetoric. Psychotherapy does, however, highlight the aspect of power distribution, in that it is clear that it is up to the patient to determine whether the rhetoric will achieve its purpose or not, that is, if he will be influenced by it. In psychotherapy, it is also important to differentiate between persuading and convincing: for a permanent change to occur in the patient?s thoughts and actions, the deeper, "internal" form of conviction is necessary for change to take place.When attempting to convince an audience, it is important for the speaker to establish a credible ethos, that is, present a trustworthy persona.

Inledning: Syftet med denna studie är att, utifrån ett insamlat material vid S:t Lukas mottagningar i Stockholmsområdet, undersöka symptomförändring från start till avslutning i psykodynamiskt inriktade psykoterapier.Frågeställningar: Den övergripande frågeställningen är om patienter och terapeuter bedömer att terapierna haft någon effekt och i så fall vilken. Vidare om bakgrundsfaktorer och självbild påverkat symptombelastningen.Metod: Studien har genomförts med hjälp av självskattningsformulär som fyllts i före och efter behandling. Patienterna har fyllt i Symptom Checklist (SCL-90) och terapeuterna ett frågeformulär där de skattat patienternas besvär. Efter inomgruppsjämförelser har jämförelser gjorts med ett normerings-material.Resultat: Det sker en signifikant symptomlindring under terapierna. Störst är förändringen när det gäller depression, ångest och interpersonell sensitivitet samt i det sammantagna genomsnittsvärdet.

The aim of this paper was to illuminate the effect of mentalizationbased psychotherapy. The patients in the survey group were interviewed before and after treatment with regard to specific symptoms of borderline personality disorder and symptoms of other personality disorders with the semi structured interviews ZAN-BPD and SCID-II. Open interview questions that were worked up in a qualitative manner were as well put to the patients that had received the treatment program. A focus group interview with the staff working with the concept within the frame of the MBT-team of Psychiatry southwest in Stockholm was also carried out. The result shows on a group level between the pre and post measuring a reduction of specific borderline symptoms like impulsivity and cognitive symptoms.

Evidence-based psychotherapeutic methods compete with each other, while meta-analysis have shown that variability due to different methods related to outcome is remarkably low. In this qualitative study six former patients were interviewed about experiences of method and technique in Affect-focused therapy, with a slight overweight towards unsatisfactory experiences. Responses were analysed and categorised in emergent themes. Methodological focus on affect showed to be a much appreciated, as well as insufficient, element. Alongside positive experiences or summaries of therapy, methodological frames were felt to be at times restrictive, even invalidating, as far as not allowing focus on what was felt to be the more predominant need.

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether cannabis use can affect cognitive functions. The method that was chosen to answer the purpose of the study was a general literature review. Article search occurred in the databases PsycINFO and PubMed. Nine articles were selected based on the study?s inclusion criteria.

Inledning: Syftet med undersökningen är att få en bild av självskattade symptomförändringar hos de unga vuxna som genomfört en psykodynamisk psykoterapi på Stadsmissionens Terapicenter för Unga, under perioden 2008-september 2013.Frågeställningar: Den övergripande frågeställningen var om och i vilken grad patienternas självskattade symptom förändrats under behandlingstiden. Utgångshypotesen för undersökningen var att den skulle visa en signifikant förbättrad självupplevd psykisk hälsa hos de unga vuxna som ingår i studien.Metod: Studien har genomförts genom att en statistisk analys gjorts av insamlat självskattningsmaterial i SCL-90, för perioden 2008 - september 2013, från Stadsmissionens Terapicenter för unga. Materialet består av enkätsvar från 209 personer.Resultat: Resultaten visar att det sker en positivt signifikant symptomförändring under behandlingstiden. Störst är den positiva symptomförändringen i det generella genomsnittsvärdet, GSI, samt vad gäller depression, ångest, interpersonell känslighet och tvång. Resultaten visar också att det finns ett betydande bortfall som inte är slumpmässigt, då bortfallet tenderar att överrepresenteras av personer med en högre nivå av psykiska besvär.Diskussion: De positiva behandlingsresultaten går tyvärr inte att generalisera på grund av ett betydande bortfall, dessutom saknades i hög utsträckning persondata i databasen vilket bidrar till en brist i resultatdiskussionen.