Psychotherapy As a Personal Relationship

by Derlega, Valerian J.; Hendrick, Susan S.; Winstead, Barbara A.; Berg, John H.

• ISBN13: 9780898625547
• ISBN10: 0898625548
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 1991-01-18
• Publisher: The Guilford Press

Summary

The relationship between therapist and client has traditionally been viewed as a unique arrangement, somehow removed from its similarities to other personal relationships. Yet, whether therapists reveal themselves fully in therapy, are more reserved in sharing personal aspects, or present themselves neutrally as a "mirror" to clients, an important relationship is being forged. While a growing body of literature on personal relationships has emerged from the fields of social psychology, communications, and family studies, it has rarely been applied to psychotherapy. This volume brings together authors from both fields to explore that interface.

Author Biography

Valerian J. Derlega received his Ph.D. in social psychology from the University of Maryland in 1971. He is Professor in the Department of Psychology at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia. His research interests include self-disclosure, personal relationships, and sex roles.Susan S. Hendrick received her Ph.D. from Kent State University in 1978. She has worked in community mental health and was in private practice as a psychologist in Coral Gables, Florida. For the past six years, she has been on the faculty of the Department of Psychology at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas. She is currently Associate Professor of Psychology and Director of the program in Counseling Psychology.

Barbara A. Winstead received her Ph.D. from Harvard University in 1980. She is Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia and a licensed clinical psychologist. Her research interests include the influence of gender on diagnosis and treatment and characteristics of social interactions that alleviate stress.

John H. Berg received his Ph.D. in social psychology form the University of Texas in 1979. He is Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Mississippi in University, Mississippi. His research interests include friendship formation, social support, loneliness, and self-disclosure.