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Toddlers' symbolic understanding of iconic models was assessed through 2 comprehension‐based tasks: 1 based on looking and 1 requiring manual selection of the target object. Toddlers received either iconic models or photographs of models as the symbolic referent. Overall, 18‐month‐olds performed poorly, and both 22‐and 26‐month‐olds performed relatively well across tasks. Contrary to expectations that the 2 tasks would impose different levels of attentional demands, performance was relatively consistent across tasks. Vocabulary size was significantly related to performance, even when the effects of age were controlled. Relations between model comprehension and more sophisticated manifestations of symbolic comprehension are considered.

Effective approaches for the treatment of childhood posttraumatic stress disorder and traumatic grief are needed given the prevalence of trauma and its impact on children's lives. To effectively treat posttraumatic stress disorder in children, evidence-based practices should be implemented with flexibility and responsiveness to culture, developmental level, and the specific needs of the family. This case study illustrates flexibility with fidelity in the use of a manualized treatment, describing the implementation of Trauma Focused-Cognitive Behavior Therapy with three traumatized family members-a caregiver and two children. Particular attention is paid to the use of creative strategies to tailor interventions to the individual clients while maintaining fidelity to the principles and components of this evidence-based treatment.

The assimilation model of therapeutic change describes the self as comprised of multiple internal voices (mental states), and tracks the development of understanding and joint action between those voices in successful psychotherapies. This model has been constructed from studies of individual therapy, and has generally focused on intrapersonal change. The emotion-focused, couple therapy case presented here involving Sarah and Mark was studied using an iterative, team-based approach to theory-building case-study research to (1) assess whether the process of resolving interpersonal problems in couple therapy is isomorphic to the process of assimilation in individual therapy and, if possible, and to (2) extend the model's ability to describe the process of resolving interpersonal problems. Observations supported the hypothesis that intra-and interpersonal problems resolve in ways that are isomorphic to one another: The patterns of perception, emotion, communication, and action observed during the process of resolving interpersonal problems were consistent with those observed in intrapersonal problem resolution in previous assimilation model research. As the couple developed mutual understandings and increasingly engaged in cooperative action, previously excluded aspects of one another's experience came to be increasingly included (i.e., valued and influential) in each partners' meaning-and decision-making. This parallels the increasing inclusion of previously avoided experience observed in successful individual treatments. Case observations are presented, and clinical and research implications are discussed.

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