The dissertation focuses on two areas of research, methodological questions regarding observer-based measurements and how factors related to the therapist and to the patient in psychotherapy together affect the outcome of therapy.

Pål Ulvenes is a clinical psychologist specialized in clinical psychology for adults with additional training in affect phobia therapies and depressive disorder. He has developed expertise in analyzing longitudinal data using advanced latent growth curve models.

Objectives

The primary objective of the dissertation is to investigate the psychotherapy treatment process and its assessment methodology. The dissertation aims to explore the impact of having observers rate multiple constructs relevant to psychotherapy to accurately assess the psychotherapy treatment process. Additionally, the study utilizes generalizability (G) theory to examine sources of variance introduced when assessing two instruments simultaneously.

Results

The first article, forming the methodological foundation, concludes that minimal variance is introduced when assessing two instruments simultaneously, validating the assessment procedure. The dissertation further includes two articles examining psychotherapy process based on observer assessments from a trial comparing short-term dynamic psychotherapy (STDP) and cognitive therapy (CT) for cluster C personality disorders. The second article investigates the relationship between therapists’ efforts to orient patients towards affect, patients’ sense of self, and affect activation. The results highlight the influence of therapist-patient interactions on patients’ affective experiences. The third article explores the relationship between therapists avoiding affect early in therapy, the bond as a component of the working alliance, and therapy outcome. The findings reveal different patterns in CT and STDP, suggesting that the bond operates differently in these treatments, providing valuable insights for therapists in each approach.

Funding

The project was funded by the Research Council of Norway.

Tools

The study uses data collected at start of treatment at Norsk Psykologklinikk’s three specialized ISTDP outpatient clinics as well as data collected at start and end of treatment at the depression unit, Modum Bad.

Contact Information

Project Manager: Leigh McCollough, professor at Harvard University, former research leader Modum Bad (deceased)

Asle Hoffart, PhD, Clinical Psychologist and senior researcher at Modum Bad

Project Contact: Pål Ulvenes, PhD, Clinical Psychologist Specialist and Head of Department at Modum Bad

You can also reach us through the Modum Bad telephone service: 32 74 97 00.

Project participants

Pål G Ulvenes, Clinical Psychologist, PhD, Head of Department, Modum Bad, Supervisor 

Bruce Wampold, Ph.D., University of Wisconsin 

Publications

Ulvenes, P. G., Berggraf, L., Hoffart, A., Stiles, T. C., Svartberg, M., McCullough, L., & Wampold, B. E. (2012). Different processes for different therapies: Therapist actions, therapeutic bond, and outcome. Psychotherapy, 49(3), 291.

Ulvenes, P. G., Berggraf, L., Wampold, B. E., Hoffart, A., Stiles, T., & McCullough, L. (2014). Orienting patient to affect, sense of self, and the activation of affect over the course of psychotherapy with cluster C patients. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 61(3), 315.

Ulvenes, P. G., Berggraf, L., Hoffart, A., Levy, R. A., Ablon, J. S., McCullough, L., & Wampold, B. E. (2012). Can two psychotherapy process measures be dependably rated simultaneously? A generalizability study. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 59(4), 638.

Reserachers studying depression and affective disorder at Modum Bad: