More methodologically sound studies investigating the psychological functioning of siblings of children with a chronic illness are needed. Clinicians need to know that siblings of children with a chronic illness are at risk for negative psychological effects. Intervention programs for the siblings and families of children with a chronic illness should be developed.

Imagery techniques involve the mental generation of perceptual experiences in the absence of external perceptual stimulation. Such techniques are used for many purposes in psychotherapy but have recently come under attack as a risky practice that may result in memory distortion or the creation of false memories. This article reviews research linking imagery with changes in memory, both to sensitize clinicians to possible inappropriate applications of guided imagery techniques and to discourage researchers from understating the potential utility of guided imagery. The implications of this research for the psychotherapeutic use of imagery are discussed, and strategies for using imagery while reducing the potential for memory distortion are described.

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In response to "Guided Imagery and Memory" by K. D. Arbuthnott, D. W. Arbuthnott, & L. Rossiter (2001), C. Z. Enns (2001) andC. A. Courtois (2001) elaborated on implications for the use of guided imagery techniques in psychotherapy, particularly for the treatment of trauma. In general, the authors endorse these elaborations and the practice guidelines recommended by the American Psychological Association task force for working with clients who may have experienced delayed memories for child abuse. However, they disagree with statements about the limited utility of laboratory research to inform clinical practice and discuss what they consider to be a more productive rapprochement between laboratory and clinical research. As an example of how practice guidelines can evolve with developing knowledge from laboratory studies, the authors discuss emerging evidence that is relevant to the mechanisms underlying guided imagery misattributions, which may significantly influence the caution necessary when using realistic imagery in psychotherapeutic treatment.

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