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Psychotherapy Process and Outcome Research Group

About the Lab

Several faculty from two departments (Psychology and Counseling and Psychological Services) have a common research interest in psychotherapy research. In the past, faculty from these departments have had highly successful collaborations, most notably with the work of Mike Lambert collaborating with CAPS on lines of outcome research that have been highly influential in the field. The widely-used Outcome Questionnaire- 45.2 (OQ-45) was developed by Lambert and others and has been used in numerous clinical studies to answer research questions varying from the effectiveness of progress feedback to therapists to relating mental health and the weather. Since Lambert’s retirement, this research group came together to seek to carry forward this rich research tradition of collaboration and mentoring. The group focuses on psychotherapy and what makes it effective, studying therapists, clients, therapy outcomes, and methods of improving the practice of therapy. Research methods include widespread surveys, experiments to test interventions, and qualitative strategies to address the individual experiences of research participants. Faculty have also invited graduate students to participate in every phase of the research, giving them opportunities to mentor undergraduate research students.

Goals of PPORG

  • maintain energy around psychotherapy research
  • get students involved in projects
  • discuss ideas in the field of psychotherapy
  • utilize the data archive in CAPS
  • design studies to take place in the CAPS
  • mentor students towards graduate school and careers in psychotherapy research

What we do

Members of the Psychotherapy Process and Outcome Research Group meet weekly on Thursdays at 8:00 am to coordinate a variety of ongoing projects. For more information, see "Current Studies."

Prospective Undergraduate Lab Members

If you are interested in joining our lab, please contact Dr. Jones, Dr. Bailey, or Dr. Erekson and fill out the google form.

Prospective Graduate Students

Dr. Jones has openings for at least one graduate student for the 2020 PhD program entry class. Our upcoming research projects include continuing to study deteriorators in psychotherapy deliberate practice, and outcome in LGBT clients. If this fits your interests and ideas, we encourage you to apply.