Robert L. Russell – författare

This book of original contributions presents investigations of psycho­ therapautic interaction. While the methodological strategies and the­ oretical orientations of these investigations are notably diverse, the utterance-by-utterance analysis of client-therapist dialogue provides a strong commonality of interest and a particularly productive perspective from which the process of psychotherapy can be illuminated. It is hoped that the contributions selected, and the problems with which they are occupied, will make evident the rich possibilities such a perspective has to offer. It should be noted, however, that the present volume is not a com­ pendium: any effort to be exhaustive would be thwarted by considera­ tions of length alone. Thus, certain omissions were inevitable. It is hoped that the interested reader will use the extensive references to become acquainted with the works not here included. Whatever effort I extended as editor and contributor to this volume could not have been undertaken without the lifelong spirit of support of my parents, Selma S. and Jay F. Russell. I dedicate my contribution to them.

This book of original contributions presents investigations of psycho­ therapautic interaction. While the methodological strategies and the­ oretical orientations of these investigations are notably diverse, the utterance-by-utterance analysis of client-therapist dialogue provides a strong commonality of interest and a particularly productive perspective from which the process of psychotherapy can be illuminated. It is hoped that the contributions selected, and the problems with which they are occupied, will make evident the rich possibilities such a perspective has to offer. It should be noted, however, that the present volume is not a com­ pendium: any effort to be exhaustive would be thwarted by considera­ tions of length alone. Thus, certain omissions were inevitable. It is hoped that the interested reader will use the extensive references to become acquainted with the works not here included. Whatever effort I extended as editor and contributor to this volume could not have been undertaken without the lifelong spirit of support of my parents, Selma S. and Jay F. Russell. I dedicate my contribution to them.

This groundbreaking work advances a developmental perspective on both the basic processes of therapeutic change and the classification of childhood problems, offering a novel approach to the search for effective treatments for children. Generating a new flow of ideas between clinical practice and empirical research, the volume revitalizes basic modalities such as psychodynamic, play, and cognitive therapies by identifying the core ingredients that enhance and retard the processes of change. The authors also demonstrate the limitations of utilizing diagnostic labels as the basis for assessing treatment efficacy, arguing instead for an integrative approach that links methods of intervention with a case-relevant analysis of the child's emotional, interpersonal, and cognitive development.