Case studies are the bridge between practice and research. They provide a method for research in which the complexity of the process and outcome of psychotherapy and counselling can be explored and examined. At the same time, they tell the story of an individual therapeutic experience, offering an opportunity to reflect on and develop theory and practice for experienced and student therapists, academics and practitioners alike. Moreover, case studies provide a medium for enabling potential clients and commissioners of services to gain insight into what actually happens inside the therapy room.

Recent developments in systematic case study methodologies have increased the credibility of case studies as a research method. Indeed this is an area at the cutting edge of psychotherapy research and many PCE scholars are making significant contributions to these developments (e.g. Bohart & Humphreys (2000), Stiles (2007), Elliott et al (2009), Stinkens et al (2009)). Guidelines for publishing good quality case studies are currently in development: see McLeod (2010) for a description of the principles of systematic case study research which form the basis of the proposed guidelines. Journals devoted to case study research have been introduced (e.g. Pragmatic Case Studies in Psychotherapy).

Until now, PCEP has published case studies on an occasional basis. In keeping with the principles of the WAPCEPC, the goal of this Special Issue is to demonstrate the process and outcomes of different forms of practice across the full spectrum of PCE in the format of systematic single case studies.

We invite new case studies that illustrate the diversity of both PCE and the systematic case study format. We hope that practitioners as well as academics will be represented amongst the authors of papers in the Special Issue.

All papers will go through the usual peer-review process for PCEP articles, so revisions may be requested, and acceptance of your paper cannot be guaranteed.

Papers should be no more than 7000 words (including references). In order to do justice to the in-depth nature of a case study, appendices to the case study may be included. These will be made available to readers online.

Susan Stephen will be the guest editor for this special issue. She can be contacted at susan.stephen @ pce-world.org for more information and to discuss your potential contribution. Please contact Susan by 31st October 2012 with your expression of interest in contributing to the Special Issue. Manuscripts should be submitted by 31st July 2013.

Please circulate this invitation to anyone you think may be interested.

References

Bohart, A.C. & Humphreys, C. (2000). A qualitative 'adjudicational' model for assessing psychotherapy outcome. Paper presented at the meeting of the International Society for Psychotherapy Research, Chicago, Illinois.

Elliott, R., Partyka, R., Wagner, J., Alperin, R., Dobrenski, R., Messer, S.B., Watson, J.C. & Castonguay, L.G. (2009). An adjudicated Hermeneutic Single Case Efficacy Design study of experiential therapy for panic/phobia. Psychotherapy Research, 19, 543-57.

McLeod, J. (2010). Case study research in counselling and psychotherapy. London:Sage.

Stiles, W.B. (2007). Theory-building case studies of counselling and psychotherapy. Counselling and Psychotherapy Review, 7, 122-7.

Stinckens, N., Elliott, R. and Leijssen, M. (2009). Bridging the gap between therapy research and practice in a person-centered/experiential therapy training program: the Leuven Systematic Case Study Protocol. Person-Centered and Experiential Psychotherapies, 8, 143-62.

First provisional list of agenda items for the General Assembly (GA)

PCE 2012, Antwerp, Belgium, Monday 9th July, 20.15-22.00

   First provisional agenda GA 2012

1. Welcome
2. Agenda
3. Minutes of GA 2008
4. Matters arising from the minutes
5. Reports from the chair, membership, journal, website, newsletter, chapters, survey of membership, and treasurer
6. Auditors' report
7. Financial projection for next two years
8.  Proposal: Membership dues
9. Donor funds
10. Bursaries
11. Proposal: Scientific Committee 
12. Election results
13. Presentation of new board
14. Update on PCE 2014
15. Proposals: PCE 2016/2018 conferences (to follow)
16. Any other business

  Proposal: Membership dues

 Proposal Scientific Committee

Individual members and delegates of organizational members are invited and encouraged to attend.
Additional information about the agenda will be presented in the newsletter and sent by email to members.

Further proposals will be accepted by the board until the General Assembly itself, when the final agenda will be agreed by those members who are present. A form on which to submit your proposal can be downloaded  here  and should be sent to Susan Stephen, Chair of the WAPCEPC Board, at [chair @ pce-world.org].

  GA proposal form 2012

Invitation to Individual Members

Dear member of the World Association for Person-Centered and Experiential Psychotherapy and Counseling

We invite you to the General Assembly (GA) of the WAPCEPC which will be held on the 9th July 2012 during the 10th PCE Conference in Antwerp, Belgium. The Statutes and Bylaws clarify the purpose and procedures of the GA; they can be found here.

As an individual member who has paid your membership for 2012, you are entitled to attend and vote at the GA, even if you are not otherwise attending PCE 2012. You are also entitled to put forward proposals for the agenda. The first provisional list of agenda items can be viewed on the website; further proposals will be accepted by the board until the General Assembly itself, when the final agenda will be agreed by those members who are present..

Updates on the GA, list of agenda items and proposals will be published on the website and in the next issue of the newsletter.  

If you are unable to attend the GA personally, you may nominate another WAPCEPC member to vote for you; in that case, you will need to let us know who you have nominated. Please send the name of your representative to [chair @ pce-world.org].

The election of members of the 2012-14 board of WAPCEPC will take place in May, by email.

We hope that you will be able to attend the General Assembly in Antwerp and we thank you for your continued support for the WAPCEPC.

On behalf of the WAPCEPC Board

Susan Stephen
Chair of the Board

Invitation to Organizational Members

Dear Colleagues

As a representative of an organizational member of the World Association for Person-Centered and Experiential Psychotherapy and Counseling, we invite you to the General Assembly (GA) of the WAPCEPC which will be held on the 9th July 2012 during the 10th PCE Conference in Antwerp, Belgium. The Statutes and Bylaws clarify the purpose and procedures of the GA; they can be found here.

Provided it has paid its membership for 2012, the organizational member that you represent is entitled to have a Delegate in attendance at the GA and to vote on its behalf, even if that individual is not otherwise attending PCE 2012. Your organization is also entitled to put forward proposals for the agenda. The first provisional list of agenda items can be viewed on the website; further proposals will be accepted by the board until the General Assembly itself, when the final agenda will be agreed by those members who are present.

Updates on the GA, list of agenda items and proposals will be published on the website and in the next issue of the newsletter. 

If no representative of your organization is able to attend the GA personally as its Delegate, your organization may nominate another WAPCEPC member to vote on its behalf; in that case, you will need to let us know who your organization has nominated. Please send the name of your Delegate to [chair @ pce-world.org]. Delegates are expected to have the mandate of their organization on all subjects that appear on the first list of provisional agenda items.

The election of members of the 2012-14 board of WAPCEPC will take place in May, by email.

We hope that you or a colleague will be able to attend the General Assembly in Rome on behalf of your organization and we thank you for its continued support for the WAPCEPC.

On behalf of the WAPCEPC Board

Susan Stephen
Chair of the Board

Welcome to the second edition of the newly named 'Encounter',and the first of 2012. I'm delighted to be able to say that, again, this is a truly global edition of the newsletter, with a fascinating variety of contributions from members of the World Association.

We have exciting news regarding developments in PCE research from within Scotland and Britain. We welcome further descriptive articles on research projects you are undertaking. This edition contains a number of WAPCEPC announcements, particularly with regard to the upcoming PCE 2012 conference. We include articles on PCE ways of working and being within Bosnia, Russia and Japan. If you are interested in sharing your experiences, then please do get in touch – we would love to hear from you.

Reflections on the World Congress in Australia, and the Global Occupy movement also complement our multi-national perspective. We feel this is fundamental to the newsletter.

This edition also includes calls for papers for special issues of PCEP, and updates from PCE Europe and PCT Scotland, as well as an evolving project focused on collating published PCE resources.

We are very glad to be able to include a range of self-reflections from Romania, USA, and England. We look forward to receiving more of these from you. Please do consider sharing your thoughts and feelings within your newsletter. Once again, I hope that you experience this 'Encounter' as personally rewarding!

Graham Westwell

Editor

Download  'Encounter' here 

An invitation to be part of the June 2012 Issue

The newsletter editorial team is enthusiastic for you to share your thoughts and feelings in the newsletter. We would love to hear your ideas, suggestions and opinions. We are interested to hear anything that can contribute to having a more inclusive and attractive newsletter. Submissions should be no more than 500 words.

The deadline for submission is 18 May 2012.  Send submissions to [newsletter @ pce-world.org]

Graham Westwell, Lidia Fogliati and Susan Stephen,

WAPCEPC Newsletter, Editorial team

An election for Board members will be held in May 2012 and we are now inviting nominations for the new Board.

The board of the WAPCEPC is an executive Board. It looks after the day–to-day management of the Association - the administration, finances, PCEP, membership, website and Newsletter, and any other tasks that further the aims of the Association.

The board reflects the variety of nationalities, cultures and traditions in PCE, but does not represent or favour any particular group of members or interests.

If you are interested in standing as a candidate, or if you want to nominate someone as candidate, please contact any of the board members to talk about what is involved in being a Board member. Further information about the election and about how to make a nomination can be found here.  

Nominations should be sent as an email attachment to [election @ pce-world.org].   The nomination form can be downloaded here.

Nominations have to be received by the 1st April 2012.

Notes: Candidates must be current members of the WAPCEPC. They should be able to commit at least two hours per week to the work of the Board.  Board meetings are usually conducted by e-mail, in English, with meetings by Skype arranged as required. The first meeting of the 2012-14 Board will take place in Antwerp, Belgium, on Sunday 8th July 2012, prior to the beginning of the PCE 2012 Conference. If the finances of the Association allow it, the 2012-14 Board may arrange to meet in person during 2013.  Meetings usually occur three times each year.  As part of their personal statement, candidates are asked to indicate which of the tasks of the Board they would be suited to undertake.

* Proposers must be current members of WAPCEPC

Board election nomination form

Criteria and a procedure for the selection of a new PCEP editor were agreed by the Board and editors at a meeting on 29th June 2010. The criteria and procedure can be found here.

Publishing the PCEP journal is a highly important part of the contribution that the WAPCEPC makes to supporting and promoting the work of person-centered and experiential practitioners around the world. We welcome all candidates who can demonstrate that they meet the criteria identified for the role of PCEP editor. Please share this information with your colleagues.

Candidates for the role of PCEP editor should send their C.V (containing sufficient information to show how you meet the identified criteria) to Graham Westwell, (WAPCEPC Board Member) at the following email address:

[graham.westwell @ pce-world.org]

by 6 May 2012.

We look forward to hearing from you.

The WAPCEPC Board

Criteria and procedure for selecting PCEP editors

With our major biennial conference PCE 2012 due to take place in Antwerp, Belgium, in July this year - and plans for PCE 2014 already in development by our colleagues in Argentina - it is time for WAPCEPC members to begin thinking about the organization of the following PCE conference, due to take place in 2016. The WAPCEPC board invites members to consider whether you and your colleagues may be willing to host this meeting of the international PCE community in your country.

There are published guidelines and a procedure for establishing a venue for the PCE conference, which can be found here in our website. Members who are interested in convening the conference in 2016 are invited to indicate their interest by sending a proposal letter to Makiko Mikuni at  [makiko.mikuni @ pce.world.org]  by 31st March 2012.

In their letter proposing to host PCE 2016, members should present their team, their competences in scientific, administrative and financial matters, and their plans concerning the site of the conference. Please contact Makiko if you have any questions about the requirements outlined within the PCE conference guidelines.

Following the deadline for proposals, the board will publish the letters in the newsletter and will arrange for members to vote on the proposals. Voting may take place in the General Assembly (Antwerp, 9 July 2012) or it may be done electronically. Details of the voting procedure in place for a decision on the venue of PCE 2016 will be published in the newsletter and on the website.

• have a commitment to the development of the PCE through practice, research, training or other forms of professional involvement, and
• do not have sufficient financial means to attend the PCE 2012 conference in Antwerp, Belgium, 8-12 July 2012.

There are 12 bursaries available. The bursary will cover the registration to the conference, with no accommodation. Low cost accommodations are likely to be available near the conference venue in Antwerp but cannot be arranged or supported by the WAPCEPC or the conference at this time.

The deadline for bursary applications is 25th January 2012. Information about the criteria for the award of a bursary, and an application form, is below.

We are inviting manuscript submissions for a special issue of Person-Centered and Experiential Psychotherapies (PCEP) on Incongruence.

Incongruence refers to a mismatch/distortion between organismic experience and awareness. It has been usually seen as a negative state or attitude, which creates misunderstanding and hinders therapeutic change. Incongruence carries negative connotations: a sign of vulnerability, maladjustment, defensiveness, lack of awareness, unintentional withholding of inner experience, falseness or even deceit and distortion of the true response. Therapist incongruence has been considered a factor that can negatively impact therapeutic outcome.

The goal of this special issue is to promote better understanding of the personal, interpersonal and intrapersonal elements that affect the experience and manifestation of incongruence in a therapeutic encounter. We invite articles that address these aspects as they appear in theory, research, or practice. We hope to expand our understanding of what triggers or brings up incongruence in a therapeutic encounter and how clients and/or therapists experience and deal with such moments.

We particularly encourage the report of new qualitative or quantitative data or measures that concern this concept, and we welcome new theoretical formulations and models.
Submissions from all schools of PCE are highly encouraged.

All papers will undergo the usual peer-review process for PCEP articles, so revisions may be requested, and acceptance of submissions cannot be guaranteed.

Soti Grafanaki will be the guest editor for this special issue. She can be contacted at [sgrafanaki @ ustpaul.ca] for more information.

Please circulate this invitation to anyone you think might be interested.

Articles should be sent by 15th July, 2012, with no more than 7000 words (including references).

All submissions should be made online at PCEP's new ScholarOne site http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/rpcp

Looking forward in receiving your submission,

Soti Grafanaki, Ph.D
Saint Paul University
Canada

PCEP call for papers Incongruence

10th PCE Conference

Working with anxiety: From symptom to self

July 8 - 12, 2012

Antwerp, Belgium

www.pce2012.be

Local Organizing Committee:

For more information, go to: www.pce2012.be

Conference Theme: Working with anxiety: From symptom to self

Anxiety is a central phenomenon in human existence. A healthy form of anxiety has a positive and stimulating impact on personal growth, while a sickening form of it can have a hindering or blocking impact on psychological development and self-actualization. The blockages may manifest themselves in diverse domains of human functioning: the self (incongruence between self-concept and organismic valuing), the experiencing process and emotional processing, interpersonal relationships and existential issues.

Anxiety is part of the experiencing of most, if not all, clients in therapy. As therapists we sometimes meet anxiety in our clients as a healthy emotion, but most of the time as an obstruction to change in the diverse problems clients are wrestling with. Clients' process-blocking ways of relating to anxiety may refer to being overwhelmed by it as well as to avoiding it.
Anxiety can arise in different kinds of problems or process blockages which clients may be struggling with, and which in the clinical field are often labeled in DSM-IV terms, such as phobia, panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder, borderline personality disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, dependent personality disorder, and the contact anxiety of the schizoid personality disorder. How does anxiety manifest itself in each of these problems or process blockages? Are these clients suffering from too much or too little anxiety? How does the client relate to his/her anxiety: not controlling enough - resulting in being flooded by it, or controlling too much - resulting in avoiding it extremely?

The different manifestations of anxiety or anxiety-avoidance call for different ways of coping, dependent on the areas of functioning which are blocked. They also make specific demands upon the listening attitude, the relational attunement and the process expertise of the therapist.

We are looking for what is really going on in the experiencing of clients who are going through something that is purely externally described in the psychiatric terminology for the different kinds of anxiety problems. We try to attune ourselves to this experiencing. The question is: how do we meet this client? How do we meet this client's anxiety or anxiety avoidance? How do we meet ‘all that' which this client's anxiety is about? And how can we help the client to come in contact with these underlying, implicit experiencings? How can we help these underlying experiencings to unfold themselves? How do we meet the anxiety of this client in a therapeutic manner, i.e. in a manner that leads to change? In a description from the perspective of the client's inner experiential world the term ‘symptom' refers to a process blockage. Then the question becomes: how can we get from process blockage to process unfolding and to an integration of the blocked process areas into the self?

Fully in line with our view on the human condition and therapy, we (will) concentrate on particular moments of anxiety in therapy. In this (phenomenological) approach, the classical external descriptions of anxiety symptoms or anxiety disorders do not offer much to go on. What kind of processes does the therapist meet in working with this particular client with his/her anxiety? This question applies to two domains:

1. How does the therapist handle the client's anxiety at the level of the interpersonal relationship? Here the holding function of the therapist comes to the foreground, as well as the question how to manage the fixed and rigid interaction patterns which the anxiety leads the client into. Then the question arises of when the therapist should try to ease the anxiety, or when on the contrary he/she should leave it as it is or even try to intensify it, and and how may the therapist's own anxiety interfere with this.
2. The second question then is: how can we work with the anxiety problems of this particular client on the intrapsychic level, on the level of the client's relationship with him/herself? The focusing attitude has a particular role here, but also a therapeutic task like exposure is important, as well as the therapist's helping the client to put into words his/her underlying implicit experiencing.

The conference will offer a forum to study and improve our therapy methods, in particular with respect to the treatment of anxiety problems. Important questions are: What works? What doesn't work? In what aspects are our methods challenged? In what ways do anxious or anxiety avoiding clients force us to adjust or to specify our therapeutic attitude? What are the particular problems we are confronted with in the domain of the client-therapist relationship (the relational domain) and in the domain of the client's self-exploration (inner avoidance or underregulation)? Are we able to find an answer to these problems and in this way to specify our methods?

Other questions are: What can we learn about the various anxiety problems from our process-differential psychotherapeutic approach? Does this knowledge result in new descriptions of anxiety problems that - in contrast with the external descriptions - are better attuned to what a therapist really needs, descriptions that focus on the experiencing person and on the moment-to-moment responses and interventions of the therapist?

We invite clinicians to contribute to the conference from their actual clinical practice, whatever the setting is, the social or cultural context, the client population, and the theoretical and practical perspective. We also invite researchers, theoreticians, trainers and supervisors to go more deeply into this topic of working with anxiety in psychotherapy and to present their findings and insights.

We are inviting manuscript submissions for a special issue of Person-Centered and Experiential Psychotherapies (PCEP) on non-directivity.

Non-directivity is, nowadays, a vexed concept in the person-centered and experiential approaches. There is much debate and controversy about its definition, theoretical meaning, clinical effectiveness, and application to wider contexts. The goal of this special issue is to promote a constructive and ground-breaking debate among scholars, researchers, and practitioners regarding the concept and practice of non-directivity. We are inviting articles that go beyond what has already been written on this topic, that is, we are expecting new material rather than rehashed arguments. We welcome critical perspectives on non-directivity, as well as those that advocate its relevance and value. We would encourage particularly the report of new qualitative or quantitative data. For instance, you might want to compare your ideas on nondirectivity to detailed observations on a case material so that the theory on nondirectivity could be elaborated, expanded, confirmed or disconfirmed.

Beth Freire will be the guest editor for this special issue. She can be contacted at beth.freire @ pce-world.org for more information.

All papers will go through the usual peer-review process for PCEP articles, so revisions may be requested, and acceptance of your paper cannot be guaranteed.

Articles should be sent by 1st December 2011, with no more than 6000 words. All submissions should be made online at PCEP's new ScholarOne site [http://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/rpcp]. This site is in construction at the moment but it will be ready to receive submissions soon.

Please circulate this invitation to anyone you think might be interested.

Many thanks,

Beth Freire