Technical skills and personal attitude in the work of a cognitive psychotherapist

Journal title PSICOBIETTIVO
Author/s Saverio Ruberti, Raffaella Visini
Publishing Year 2021 Issue 2021/1
Language Italian Pages 15 P. 113-127 File size 173 KB
DOI 10.3280/PSOB2021-001012
DOI is like a bar code for intellectual property: to have more infomation click here

Below, you can see the article first page

If you want to buy this article in PDF format, you can do it, following the instructions to buy download credits

Article preview

FrancoAngeli is member of Publishers International Linking Association, Inc (PILA), a not-for-profit association which run the CrossRef service enabling links to and from online scholarly content.

This essay investigates the connection between the technical aspects of cognitive psychotherapy as well as the personal and emotional dynamics that elapse between therapist and patient. The authors highlight the increasing relevance of the therapeutic relationship in cognitive psychotherapy and focus on the emotional elements of the therapist-patient interactions and the role that these elements have in enhancing change. These changes are examined by keeping in mind the most recent treatment models, known as the Third Wave of cognitive behavioral psychotherapy.

Keywords: Cognitive psychotherapy; affective aspect of psychotherapeutic relationship; mentalization; metacognition; personal characteristics of psychotherapist; third wave of cognitive-behavioral therapy.

  1. Ackerman S., Hilsenroth M. (2001) “A review of therapist characteristics and techniques negatively impacting the therapeutic alliance”, Psychotherapy, 38: 171-185.
  2. Allison E., Fonagy P. (2016) “When is truth relevant?”, The Psychoanalytic Quarterly, 85, 2: 275-303.
  3. Bara B.G. (2018) Il terapeuta relazionale. Tecnica dell’atto terapeutico, Bollati Boringhieri, Torino
  4. Bateman A., Fonagy P. (2016) Mentalization-based Treatment for Personality Disorder: A Practical Guide, Oxford Universities Press (trad. it.:
  5. Mentalizzazione e disturbi di personalità. Una guida pratica al trattamento, Raffaello Cortina, Milano, 2019)
  6. Bateman A., Fonagy P., Allen J.G. (2009) “Teoria e pratica della terapia basata sulla mentalizzazione”, in Gabbard G.O. (ed.), Textbook of Psychotherapeutic Treatments, American Psychiatric Publishing, Inc., Washington DC and London (trad. it.: Le psicoterapie. Teorie e metodi d’intervento, Raffaello Cortina, Milano, 2010)
  7. Bowlby J. (1988) A secure base, Routledge, London (trad. it.: Una base sicura, Raffaello Cortina, Milano, 1989)
  8. Carcione A., Falcone M., Magnolfi G., Manaresi F. (1997) “La funzione metacognitiva in psicoterapia: Scala di Valutazione della Metacognizione (S.Va.M.)”, Psicoterapia, 9: 91-107
  9. Carcione A., Nicolò G., Semerari A. (2016) Curare i casi complessi. La terapia metacognitiva interpersonale dei disturbi di personalità, Laterza, Roma-Bari Castonguay L., Hill C.E. (eds.) (2017) How and why are some therapists better than others? Understanding therapist effects, American Psychological Association, Washington, DC
  10. Farina B., Liotti G. (2018) “La svolta relazionale in psicoterapia cognitiva: origini e prospettive della psicoterapia cognitivo-evoluzionista”, Cognitivismo Clinico, 15, 1: 6-21
  11. Fonagy P., Gergely G., Jurist E.L., Target M. (2002) Affect regulation, Mentalization, and the Development of the Self, Other Press, USA (trad. it.: Regolazione affettiva, mentalizzazione e sviluppo del sé, Raffaello Cortina, Milano, 2005)
  12. Guidano V.F. (1987) The complexity of the Self: A developmental approach to Psychopatology and therapy, Guilford, New York (trad. it.: La complessità del Sé: un approccio sistemico-processuale alla psicopatologia e alla terapia cognitiva, Bollati Boringhieri, Torino, 1988)
  13. Guidano V.F., Liotti G. (1983) Cognitive Processes and Emotional Disorders: a Processi cognitivi e disregolazione emotiva, Edizioni Apertamenteweb, Borla, Roma, 2018].
  14. Gilbert P. (2005) Compassion: conceptualizations, research and use in psychotherapy, Routledge, New York
  15. Gilbert P. (2009) The compassionate mind, Constable & Robinson, London Gilbert P. (2010) Compassion Focused Therapy, copyright by Paul Gilbert (trad. it.: La terapia focalizzata sulla compassione. Caratteristiche distintive, FrancoAngeli, Milano, 2012)
  16. Gilbert P., Choden K. (2014) Mindful Compassion. How the science of compassion can help you understand your emotions, live in the present and connect deeply with others (trad. it.: Mindful Compassion, Giovanni Fioriti, Roma, 2019)
  17. Hayes S.C., Stroshal K.D., Wilson K.G. (2011) Acceptance and Commitment Therapy: The Process and the Pratice of Mindful Change (2 ed.), Guilford Press, New York
  18. Lingiardi V. (2002) L’alleanza terapeutica. Teoria, clinica, ricerca, Raffaello Cortina, Milano
  19. Lingiardi V., Di Cicilia G. (2019) “La relazione terapeutica: quando una relazione diventa veicolo di cambiamento?”, Quaderni di Psicoterapia Cognitiva, 45: 101-118
  20. Linehan M.M. (1993) Cognitive Behavioural tratment of Borderline Personality Disorders, Guilford Press, New York (trad. it.: Il trattamento cognitivo comportamentale del disturbo borderline di personalità, Raffaello Cortina, Milano, 2011)
  21. Liotti G. (1994-2005) La dimensione interpersonale della coscienza, Nis, Roma (nuova edizione rivista: Carocci, Roma)
  22. Liotti G. (2011) “Il paradigma relazionale nel cognitivismo clinico”, in Lingiardi V., Amadei G., Caviglia G., De Bei F. (a cura di), La svolta relazionale, Raffaello Cortina, Milano
  23. Liotti G., Monticelli F. (2014) Teoria e clinica dell’alleanza terapeutica. Una prospettiva cognitivo-evoluzionista, Raffaello Cortina, Milano
  24. Mahoney M.J. (1982) “Psychotherapy and Human Change Processes”, in Harvey J.H., Parks M.M., The Master Lecture Series. Research and Behavior Changes, vol. I, American Psychological Association, Washington
  25. Mahoney M.J. (1991) Human changes processes, Basik Books, New York Norcross J.C., Lambert M.J. (eds.) (2019) Psychotherapy relationships that work (3rd ed., Vol. 3), Oxford University Press, New York (trad. it.: Quando la relazione terapeutica funziona, vol. 3, Armando, Roma, 2019
  26. Norcross J.C., Wampold B.E. (2011) “Evidence-based therapy relationships: research conclusions and clinical practices”, Psychotherapy, 48: 98-102.
  27. relationships and responsiveness”, Journal of Clinical Psychology,
  28. Orefice S. (2002) La sfiducia e la diffidenza, Raffaello Cortina, Milano
  29. Petrowsky K., Nowacki K., Pokorny D., Buchheim A. (2011) “Matching the Patient to the Therapist. The Roles of Attachment Status and the Helping Alliance”, J. Nerv. Ment. Dis., 199: 839-844
  30. Petrowsky K., Pokorny D., Nowacki K., Buchheim A. (2013) “The Therapist’s Attachment Representation and the Patient’s Attachment to the Therapist”, Psychotherapy Research, 23, 1: 25-34: 10.
  31. Porges S.W. (2011) The polyvagal theory, Norton & Company, NY-London (trad. it.: La teoria polivagale, Giovanni Fioriti, Roma, 2014)
  32. Rezzonico G., Bani M. (2011) “L’auto-svelamento in psicoterapia: pluralità dei punti di vista e relativo gradiente emozionale”, Quaderni di Psicoterapia Cognitiva, 29, 16, 2: 36-57
  33. Ruberti S. (2008) “Lo stato mentale del terapeuta come fattore di cambiamento”, Quaderni di Psicoterapia Cognitiva, 22, 13(1)
  34. Safran J.D, Muran J.C. (2000) Negotiating the Therapeutic Alliance. A Relational Treatment Guide, The Guilford Press, New York (trad. it.: Teoria e pratica dell’alleanza terapeutica, Laterza, Roma-Bari, 2003)
  35. Safran J.D., Segal Z. (1990) Interpersonal Process in Cognitive Therapy, Aronson, Northvale (trad. it.: Il processo interpersonale nella terapia cognitiva, Feltrinelli, Milano, 1993)
  36. Segal Z.V., Williams J.M.C., Teasdale J.D. (2002) Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy for Depression: A New Approach to Preventing Relapse, Guilford Press, New York
  37. Semerari A. (1991) I processi cognitivi nella relazione terapeutica, Nuova Italia Scientifica, Roma
  38. Semerari A. (a cura di) (1999) Psicoterapia cognitiva del paziente grave. Metacognizione e relazione terapeutica, Raffaello Cortina, Milano
  39. Semerari A. (2000) Storia, teorie e tecniche della psicoterapia cognitiva, Laterza, Roma-Bari
  40. Semerari A., Pellecchia G., Carcione A. (2016) “La relazione terapeutica”, in Carcione A., Nicolò G., Semerari A., Curare i casi complessi. La terapia metacognitiva interpersonale dei disturbi di personalità, Laterza, Roma-Bari
  41. Siegel D.J. (2010) The mindful therapist. A clinician’s guide to mindsight to psychotherapy, Mind Your Brain, Inc., Santa Monica (trad. it.: Il terapeuta consapevole, Istituto di Scienze Cognitive, Sassari, 2014)
  42. Schore A.N. (1994) Affect regulation and the origin of the self: The neurobiology of emotional development, Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc., Mahwah, New Jersey Schore A.N. (2003) Affect regulation and the repair of the self, W.W. Norton & Company, New York (trad. it.: La regolazione degli affetti e la riparazione del sé, Astrolabio, Roma, 2008)
  43. Schore A.N. (2012) The Science and the Art of Psychotherapy, W.W. Norton & Company, New York (trad. it.: La scienza e l’arte della psicoterapia, Istituto di Scienze Cognitive, Sassari, 2016)
  44. Tirch D., Silberstein L.R., Kolts R.L. (2016) Buddhist Psychology and Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy. A Clinician’s Guide, The Guilford Press, New York (trad. it.: Psicologia buddhista e terapia cognitivo comportamentale, DigitalPrint S.r.l.-Segrate (Milano), 2019)
  45. Tyrrell C.L., Dozier M., Teague G.B., Fallot D. (1999) “Effective Treatment Relationship for Persons With Serious Psychiatric Disorders: The Importance of Attachment State of Mind”, Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 67, 5: 725-733
  46. Wampold B.E., Brown G.S.J. (2005) “Estimating variability in outcomes attributable to therapists: A naturalistic study of outcomes in managed care”, Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 73(5): 914-923
  47. Wang S. (2005) “A conceptual framework for integrating research related to the physiology of compassion and the wisdom of Buddhist teachings”, in Gilbert P. (ed.), Compassion: conceptualizations, research and use in psychotherapy, Routledge, New York, pp. 75-101

Saverio Ruberti, Raffaella Visini, Competenza tecnica e attitudinipersonali nel lavoro dello psicoterapeuta cognitivista in "PSICOBIETTIVO" 1/2021, pp 113-127, DOI: 10.3280/PSOB2021-001012