Summary:

In today’s episode, we discuss a recent paper publication that discusses the role of the gift of love (GOL) in IRT as a mechanism of change in therapy.

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Timestamps:

(05:00) - General takeaways from GOL paper

(14:15)- GOL Awareness and Choice Scale

(16:20) - The importance of learning history in IRT; why some modern day therapy is present focused

(22:22) - Meanings of ‘symptom’ in IRT, in relation to the GOL

(31:39) - Adherence in IRT

(34:34) - 5 Steps of IRT

(36:15) - What IRT addresses that TAU does not

(39:10) - Supporting Green over Red

(53:40) - Collaboration in case formulation development

(55:00) - Choosing to love differently

(58:30) - Mediation effect in IRT paper

(61:00) - GOL and “treatment resistance”

(64:40) - Paucity of research studying individuals with high acuity clinical needs

References:

Critchfield, K. L., Gornish, A., Epstein, L., Mackaronis, J. E., & Benjamin, L. S. (2025). The "gift of love" as a candidate mechanism of psychopathology and change in interpersonal reconstructive therapy for patients with high-acuity clinical needs. Psychotherapy (Chicago, Ill.), 10.1037/pst0000556. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1037/pst0000556
Karpiak, C. P., & Benjamin, L. S. (2004). Therapist Affirmation and the Process and Outcome of Psychotherapy: Two Sequential Analytic Studies. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 60(6), 659–676. https://doi.org/10.1002/jclp.10248