The Moving History of Vestibular Stimulation as a Therapeutic Intervention.

Although the discovery and understanding of the function of the vestibular system date back only to the 19th century, strategies that involve vestibular stimulation were used long before to calm, soothe and even cure people. While such stimulation was classically achieved with various motion devices, like Cox's chair or Hallaran's swing, the development of caloric and galvanic vestibular stimulation has opened up new possibilities in the 20th century. With the increasing knowledge and recognition of vestibular contributions to various perceptual, motor, cognitive, and emotional processes, vestibular stimulation has been suggested as a powerful and non-invasive treatment for a range of psychiatric, neurological and neurodevelopmental conditions. Yet, the therapeutic interventions were, and still are, often not hypothesis-driven as broader theories remain scarce and underlying neurophysiological mechanisms are often vague. We aim to critically review the literature on vestibular stimulation as a form of therapy in various selected disorders and present its successes, expectations, and drawbacks from a historical perspective.

Clinical dysfunction and psychosocial interventions: the interplay of research, methods, and conceptualization of challenges.

I describe the development and course of my research in studying clinical dysfunction among children, adolescents, and adults. This is an autobiographical account that highlights programs of research, career moves, and experiences along the way that were particularly influential. Research on specific topics and the methods to study them were inherently fascinating but invariably led me to broader issues well beyond what I was studying. The research alerted me to how and why current methods, assumptions, and research practices might be constraining and perhaps slightly misguided. My research and specific findings in a given area were not necessarily part of any particular breakthrough but rather helped me see how more, different, and better work was needed. Collaborations with a diverse set of colleagues and models from other disciplines than psychology helped me conceptualize the goals of research on a given topic (e.g., developing evidence-based treatments, reducing the burden of mental illness, promoting a sustainable environment to mitigate climate change) and propose a shift from current practices as a means to obtain them.

The evolution of behaviour therapy and cognitive behaviour therapy.

The historical background of the development of behaviour therapy is described. It was based on the prevailing behaviourist psychology and constituted a fundamentally different approach to the causes and treatment of psychological disorders. It had a cold reception and the idea of treating the behaviour of neurotic and other patients was regarded as absurd. The opposition of the medical profession and psychoanalysts is explained. Parallel but different forms of behaviour therapy developed in the US and UK. The infusion of cognitive concepts and procedures generated a merger of behaviour therapy and cognitive therapy, cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT). The strengths and limitations of the early and current approaches are evaluated.

Arnold A. Lazarus (1932-2013).

Arnold A. Lazarus, distinguished professor emeritus at the Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology, Rutgers University, passed away on October 1, 2013. He is regarded as one of the founders of behavior therapy and one of its leading practitioners and teachers. Throughout his career Lazarus enjoyed the rare distinction of being one of the most influential, creative, and highly regarded clinical practitioners in the field of clinical psychology. To those fortunate to have been his students, colleagues, or friends, Lazarus's intelligence, creativity, kindness, and mischievous and often irreverent wit made him very special indeed.

Advice for improving memory: exercising, strengthening, and cultivating natural memory, 1860-1910.

The idea that human memory can be improved appears to be as ancient as the concept of memory itself. For centuries, authors have promised that using artificial mnemonical systems can improve remembering. However, in the late nineteenth century many authors of memory improvement texts emphasized the importance of enhancing natural memory as opposed to developing artificial memory systems. In doing so, they portrayed natural memory as something analogous to other body functions and parts, such as muscles, and promoted a metaphorical view of memory that did not rely wholly on the more familiar root metaphors of storage and inscription. At the same time, they stressed that natural memory could be reconciled with moral purposes, especially through notions of exercise, training, and discipline. This article explores these ideas and how they chimed with Victorian concerns about free will, the education of the young, moral imperatives around self-improvement, and the increasing interest in science and especially a science of the mind.

On the origin and functions of the term functional analysis.

In this essay, we note that although Iwata, Dorsey, Slifer, Bauman, and Richman (1982) established the standard framework for conducting functional analyses of problem behavior, the term functional analysis was probably first used in behavior analysis by B. F. Skinner in 1948. We also remind readers that a functional analysis is really an experimental analysis, words that were contained in the title of Skinner's first book, The Behavior of Organisms: An Experimental Analysis (1938). We further describe how Skinner initially applied the concept of functional analysis to an understanding of verbal behavior, and we suggest that the same tactic be applied to the verbal behavior of behavior analysts, in the present case, to the term functional analysis.

[The history of reorientation therapy]. / A reorientációs terápia története.

Most scientists today agree that sexual orientation is most likely the result of a complex interaction of environmental, cognitive, and biological factors. In past decades in the United States there has been a big discourse as to the necessity and effectiveness of changing same-sex attraction. Researchers disagree on whether same-sex attraction can be changed. Position statements of the major mental health organizations state that there is not enough scientific evidence to support the reorientation therapy. In addition, there is some evidence to indicate that some individuals experienced harm or believed they had been harmed by these interventions. The aim of this article is to give a historic overview of the reorientation therapies, to review the efficacy of the therapies, motivations for seeking therapy, arguments for and against the therapy, and to overview the actual mainstream organizations' statements.

German battle casualties: the treatment of functional somatic disorders during World War I.

World War I witnessed the admission of large numbers of German soldiers with neurological symptoms for which there was no obvious organic cause. This posed a considerable challenge for the military and medical authorities and resulted in an active discussion on the etiology and treatment of these disorders. Current historiography is reliant on published physician accounts, and this represents the first study of treatment approaches based on original case notes. We analyzed patient records from two leading departments of academic psychiatry in Germany, those at Berlin and Jena, in conjunction with the contemporaneous medical literature. Treatment, which can be broadly classified into reward and punishment, suggestion, affective shock, cognitive learning, and physiological methods, was developed in the context of the emerging fields of animal learning and neurophysiology. A further innovative feature was the use of quantitative methods to assess outcomes. These measures showed good response rates, though most cured patients were not sent back to battle because of their presumed psychopathic constitution. While some treatments appear unnecessarily harsh from today's perspective and were also criticized by leading psychiatrists of the time, the concentration of effort and involvement of so many senior doctors led to the development of psychotherapeutic methods that were to influence the field of psychiatric therapy for decades to come.

Overcoming the glass ceiling: views from the cellar and the roof.

Women's experiences as professionals and behavior therapists have changed considerably in the past 40 years. The author describes early challenges and experiences of discrimination as a young female professional. Although women's opportunities have improved considerably, women still experience unique career challenges and choices. The author provides some suggestions for women's career development.

Comments by ABCT's first female president on overcoming the glass ceiling.

At the annual convention of the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies in New York City in November 2009, a most interesting panel discussion occurred: Overcoming the Glass Ceiling: A Conversation With the Trailblazers. This article is a written version of my oral presentation at this panel discussion in my role as ABCT's first female president.

Social skills training for depression and comparative efficacy research: a 30-year retrospective.

By the late 1970s it was clear that cognitive and behavioral therapies were promising alternatives to antidepressant medications for treatment of depressed outpatients. One such model of therapy, Social Skills Training, was developed by Michel Hersen and his colleagues specifically for treatment of depressed women. Professor Hersen and his colleagues obtained funding from the National Institute of Mental Health to conduct the first well-controlled randomized trial of this intervention, contrasting Social Skills Training, in combination with either placebo or active amitriptyline, against two active standards: amitriptyline alone and time-limited, psychodynamic psychotherapy in combination with placebo. The results of this study suggested that Social Skills Training (plus placebo) was at least as effective as amitriptyline alone or psychodynamic psychotherapy (plus placebo), with superior mode-specific effects on measures of social skill. The current narrative, which provides an autobiographical perspective of four critical years (1980-1984) in the early career of the author that were intertwined with the conduct and completion of this clinical trial, is an homage to Professor Hersen's talents as a supervisor, researcher, and mentor.

Tributes to Michel Hersen's contribution to the field. The Mississippi years (1969-1974).

The 4 years that Michel Hersen spent at the University of Mississippi Medical Center (1970-1974) are described in this article from the viewpoint of his place in the history of the development of behavior analysis and therapy. The Department of Psychiatry at the University of Mississippi Medical Center became a leader in enhancing the role of psychologists as clinician researchers within psychiatry and applying basic findings from psychology to the bedside. A vigorous research program involving psychology residents and postdoctoral students, and psychology and psychiatry faculty emerged from this integration of science and practice. Many of the faculty members, including Michel Hersen, became leaders in the field of behavior therapy. Much of what was groundbreaking at the time is now commonplace within many medical schools.

Michel Hersen and the development of social skills training: historical perspective of an academic scholar and pioneer.

As a distinguished scholar over the past 45 years, Michel Hersen has left an indelible mark on the field of behavior therapy and clinical psychology. One of his most enduring legacies is his early research work in the area of social skills assessment and training, with special attention to assertiveness training. His basic analogue and clinical outcome studies have served as essential building blocks for current evidence-based treatments. His long and distinguished career has significantly impacted the lives of colleagues, students, and patients alike.