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The aim of this article is to share our experience at the Aiglé Foundation in fostering research that can conducted by (or in collaboration with) clinicians within a specific type of naturalistic setting-one that not only provides psychological services but also trains psychotherapists. After presenting the structure of Aiglé and the implementation of its scientific-practitioner philosophy, we describe some of the research that has been conducted with our network of clinicians and the benefits of connecting clinical practice and academic work. We then discuss some of the obstacles that we have encountered in conducting such studies, as well as a number of strategies that we adopted in attempting to address these challenges. We end this article by briefly describing the current state of our practice-research network, and by offering some recommendations to facilitate the conduct of research by and for clinicians.

IntroducciónEn las últimas décadas la investigación empírica ha proporcionado hallazgos significativos sobre las variables que participan en el proceso y el resultado de la psicoterapia, a través de estudios centrados en las características del paciente, del terapeuta y de la relación terapéutica (1, 2, 3). Particularmente, con respecto a la investigación sobre las variables del terapeuta, los principales desarrollos se han dirigido a diferenciarlas en variables de rasgo frente a variables de estado (rasgos: observables e inferidos; estados: observables e inferidos). Los estados observables incluyen variables como: entrenamiento del terapeuta, experiencia, estilo terapéu-tico interpersonal (estilos interactivos recíprocos, patrones verbales de interacción en psicoterapia, patrones de comunicación multicanal y no verbales). Dentro de la misma categoría se encuentran los métodos de tratamiento utilizados: manualizados, supervisión, adherencia/sintonía y habilidad/competencia; y las clases de intervenciones: directividad/no directividad del terapeuta, intervenciones orientadas al insight frente a los síntomas, emotivas vs. de soporte, intensidad del tratamiento, autodeclaraciones del terapeuta (1).La evolución de la investigación en psicoterapia ha avanzado progresivamente, por un lado, hacia la determinación de cuáles son los terapeutas más adecuados para qué pacientes y en qué condiciones específicas y, por otro lado, se ha ocupado de establecer principios generales de la psicoterapia. Este fenómeno se pone en evidencia en los esfuerzos clínicos y de investigación de algunos programas como el de Beutler & Harwood (4) que han estudiado la relación entre variables del paciente, los tipos de intervención del terapeuta y su relación con los resultados de la psicoterapia. RESUMEN: Estudio comparativo entre terapeutas de distintas orientaciones teóricas que asisten o no a pacientes severamente perturbados, con el objetivo de evaluar las caracterís-ticas del estilo personal consideradas óptimas. PALABRAS CLAVE: Estilo personal del terapeuta, investigación empírica, pacientes severamente perturbados.SUMMARY: A comparison between the personal style of the therapists from different theoretical orientations that usually work or not with severely disturbed patients, with the aim of evaluating the optimal characteristics of the personal style. KEY WORDS: Personal style of the therapist, empirical research, severely disturbed patients.Verónica Rial, Claudia Castañeiras, Fernando García, Beatriz Gómez y Héctor Fernández-Álvarez Estilo personal de terapeutas que trabajan con pacientes severamente perturbados: un estudio cuantitativo y cualitativoRev.

Background/Objective Unwanted mental intrusions (UMIs), typically discussed in relation to Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), are highly prevalent, regardless of the specific nationality, religion, and/or cultural context. Studies have also shown that UMIs related to Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD), Illness anxiety/Hypochondriasis (IA-H), and Eating Disorders (EDs) are commonly experienced. However, the influence of culture on these UMIs and their transdiagnostic nature has not been investigated. Method Participants were 1,473 non-clinical individuals from seven countries in Europe, the Middle-East, and South America. All the subjects completed the Questionnaire of Unpleasant Intrusive Thoughts, which assesses the occurrence and discomfort of four UMI contents related to OCD, BDD, IA-H, and EDs, and symptom questionnaires on the four disorders. Results Overall, 64% of the total sample reported having experienced the four UMIs. The EDs intrusions were the most frequently experienced, whereas hypochondriacal intrusions were the least frequent but the most disturbing. All the UMIs were significantly related to each other in frequency and disturbance, and all of them were associated with clinical measures of OCD, BDD, IA-H, and EDs. Conclusions UMIs are a common phenomenon across different cultural contexts and operate transdiagnostically across clinically different disorders.

Although integration has been formally influencing the field of psychotherapy since the 1930s, its impact gained significant momentum during the 1980s. Practical, theoretical, and scientific reasons help to explain the growing influence of integration in psychotherapy. The field of psychotherapy is characterized by many challenges which integration may change into meaningful opportunities. Nonetheless, many obstacles remain when seeking to advance integration. To appreciate the strength of integration in psychotherapy we describe an integrative, comprehensive approach to service delivery, research, and training. We then discuss the role of integration in the future of psychotherapy.

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The Personal Style of the Therapist (PST) is an important aspect to assess in the therapeutic process. Previous research has explored therapist’s profiles and their differences according to a variety of theoretical orientations, as well as the association between these profiles and personality traits. This study aims to put together these lines of research through a cluster analysis. The specific goals were to describe the profiles of therapists with respect to the functions of the PST and personality traits; and to analyze whether the professionals’ profiles and their theoretical orientations were related. The sample was comprised of 546 Argentinian therapists. The Personal Style of the Therapist Questionnaire (PST-Q) and the Big Five Inventory (BFI) were used as measuring instruments. Using the methodology of hierarchical analysis based on a cluster analysis integrating the five factors of the PST, a four-cluster solution was confirmed to be the most satisfactory. Subsequently, a cluster analysis of k-means based on the five factors of each test (PST-Q and BFI) was performed. Finally, the relationship between the clusters and theoretical orientation and years of clinical practice was assessed, rendering positive outcomes. The results are discussed based on previous research studies and the significance of studying the therapist’s personal variables and their connection with psychotherapy efficacy.