Elliott Robert Prof

Biographical summary

Robert Elliott, Ph.D., is Professor of Counselling in the Counselling Unit at the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, Scotland. He received his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology from UCLA in 1978. He taught at the University of Toledo 1978-2006, where he is now Professor Emeritus of Psychology. He has also held visiting faculty positions as Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (Belgium), York University (Canada), University of Sheffield (UK), and La Trobe University (Australia). He served as President of the Society for Psychotherapy Research (2000-2001) and as co-editor of the journal Psychotherapy Research (1994-1998). He is co-author of Facilitating emotional change (1993, with Leslie Greenberg and Laura Rice), Learning process-experiential psychotherapy (2004, with Jeanne Watson, Rhonda Goldman, and Leslie Greenberg), and Research methods in clinical psychology (2nd ed., with Chris Barker & Nancy Pistrang), as well as more than 90 journal articles or book chapters. He is a Fellow in the Divisions of Psychotherapy and Humanistic Psychology of the American Psychological Association and winner of the 2008 Carl Rogers Award for Contributions to Humanistic Psychology. He is currently Co-Editor Emeritus of the journal, Person-Centered Counseling and Psychotherapy.

Teaching interests

Professor Elliott teaches counselling and psychotherapy research methods and person-centred/experiential counselling and psychotherapy.

Research interests

Professor Elliott's research interests include:

• the process and outcome of person-centred and experiential psychotherapies [Professional Practice; Wellbeing]
• giving voice to clients' experiences of counselling and psychotherapy [Professional Practice; Social Justice; Wellbeing]
• the process and outcome of counselling training [Professional Practice]
• research methodology with interests in both qualitative and quantitative research methods, as well as group and single-case research designs

Professor Elliott has recently been awarded a research grant from the British Association for the Person-Centred Approach for a meta-analysis of outcome research on person-centred/experiential psychotherapies.

Consultancy

Professor Elliott offers basic and advanced training workshops in emotion-focused therapy and provides research consultancy to the Psychology Department of Katholieke Universiteit Leuven.

Recent publications

• Elliott, R., & Partyka, R. (2005). Personal therapy and growth work in experiential-humanistic therapies. In J. D. Geller, J. C. Norcross, & D. E. Orlinsky (Eds.). The psychotherapist's own psychotherapy: Patient and clinician perspectives (pp. 34-40). New York: Oxford University Press.
• Elliott, R. & Timulak, L. (2005). Descriptive and interpretive approaches to qualitative research. In J. Miles & P. Gilbert (eds.), A Handbook of Research Methods in Clinical and Health Psychology (147-159). Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press.
• Klein, M.J., & Elliott, J. (2006). Client Accounts of personal change in Process-Experiential psychotherapy: A methodologically pluralistic approach. Psychotherapy Research. 16, 91-105.
• Elliott, R., & Zucconi, A. (2006). Doing Research on the Effectiveness of Psychotherapy and Psychotherapy Training: A Person-Centered/Experiential Perspective. Person-Centered and Experiential Psychotherapies, 5, 82-100.
• Elliott, R., Fox, C.M., Beltyukova, S.A., Stone, G.E., Gunderson, J., & Zhang, Xi. (2006). Deconstructing therapy outcome measurement with Rasch analysis: The SCL-90-R. Psychological Assessment, 18, 359-372.
• Elliott, R. (2006). Decoding Insight Talk: Discourse Analyses of Insight in Ordinary Language and in Psychotherapy. In L G. Castonguay & C.E. Hill (Eds, Insight in Psychotherapy (167-185). Washington, DC: APA.
• Hill, C.E., Castonguay, LG., Elliott, R., et al. (2006). Insight in psychotherapy: Definitions, process, consequences, and research directions. In L G. Castonguay & C.E. Hill (Eds.), Insight in Psychotherapy (441-454). Washington, DC: APA.

Recent conference presentations

• Elliott, R., Leijssen, M., & Dekeyser, M. (May, 2006). Carrying Focusing Forward Toward Research: Emerging Opportunities for Focusing Research in an Era of Evidence-Based Practice. Paper presented at 18th International Focusing Conference 2006, Tilburg, The Netherlands.
• Elliott, R. (May, 2006). Overview of Process-Experiential Therapy: An Emotion-Focused, Empirically-Supported, Neo-Humanistic Treatment. Paper presented at Emotion-Focused Therapy Summit conference, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
• Fox, C.M., Beltyukova, S.A., Stone, G.E., & Elliott, R. (June, 2006). Analyzing How Informants Utilize Rating Scale Options on the Therapeutic Work Involvement Scales. Paper presented at Society for Psychotherapy Research, Edinburgh, Scotland.
• Stone, G.E., Fox, C.M., Beltyukova, S.A., & Elliott, R. (June, 2006). Construct Development and Differential Diagnosis within the Therapeutic Work Involvement Scales. Paper presented at Society for Psychotherapy Research, Edinburgh, Scotland.
• Beltyukova, S.A., Fox, C.M., Stone, G.E., & Elliott, R. (June, 2006). Using Rasch Analysis to Compare Translations of the Therapeutic Work Involvement Scales. Paper presented at Society for Psychotherapy Research, Edinburgh, Scotland.
• Faur, A., Elliott, R., & Beltyukova, S. (June, 2006). Measuring the Self-Relationship: Testing and Revising the SASB Introject Questionnaire. Paper presented at Society for Psychotherapy Research, Edinburgh, Scotland.
• Dekeyser, M., Elliott, R., Leijssen, M. (June, 2006). Psychological Contact Scale: A Post-Session Questionnaire. Paper presented at Society for Psychotherapy Research, Edinburgh, Scotland.
• Elliott, R., & Zucconi, A., (June, 2006). International Project on the Effectiveness of Psychotherapy and Psychotherapy Training: Description and Draft Research Protocol. Paper presented at Society for Psychotherapy Research, Edinburgh, Scotland.
• Greenberg, L.S., Elliott, R., Watson, J. (July, 2006). Process Experiential Therapy of Depression: An emotion-focused approach. Paper presented at conference of the World Association for Person-Centered and Experiential Psychotherapy, Potsdam, Germany.
• Elliott, R., Zucconi, A. & Stinckens, N. (July, 2006). International Project on the Effectiveness of Psychotherapy and Psychotherapy Training: Description and Draft Research Protocol. Paper presented at conference of the World Association for Person-Centered and Experiential Psychotherapy, Potsdam, Germany.
• Elliott, R. (August, 2006). Meta-Analysis on the Effectiveness of Emotion-Focused Experiential Therapies. Paper presented at convention of the American Psychological Association, New Orleans, LA, USA.
• Breighner, E.S., & Elliott, R. (October, 2006). Retelling of Difficult Experiences: A Task Analytic Study. Paper presented at meeting of the North American Chapter of the Society for Psychotherapy Research, Burr Oak, OH, USA.
• Elliott, R. (October, 2006). Describing the Change Process in Process-Experiential Therapy Sessions: The Experiential Session Form-2. Paper presented at meeting of the North American Chapter of the Society for Psychotherapy Research, Burr Oak, OH, USA.
• Elliott, R. (November, 2006). Researching Client Change in Our Own Practice: A Systematic Case Study of a Process-Experiential Treatment of a Client with Panic/Agoraphobia. Paper presented at meeting of the Italian Association for the Person-Centred Approach, Rome, Italy.
• Elliott, R. (March, 2006). Researching Client Change in Our Own Practice:
  A Systematic Case Study of a Process-Experiential Treatment of a Client with Panic/Bridge Phobia. Paper presented at meeting of the UK Chapter of the Society for Psychotherapy Research, Ravenscar, UK.
• Elliott, R. (March, 2007). A Generic Approach to Qualitative Research: Beyond Brand Names. Paper presented at meeting of the British Psychological Society, York, UK.
• Elliott, R. (May, 2007). Practice-based research on the Effectiveness of Psychotherapy and Psychotherapy Training: Research Framework and Protocols. Paper presented at meeting of Briitish Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, York, UK.
• Elliott, R. (May, 2007). Research as a Growing Edge for the Person-Centred Approach: Issues and Opportunities. Paper presented at meeting of Person-Centred Therapy Scotland, Edinburgh, Scotland.
• Elliott, R., & Schnellbacher, J. (June, 2007). Relational and Emotion Processes in First Sessions of Process-Experiential Therapy: An Interpretive Discourse Analysis of Clients' Accounts of Significant Events. Paper presented at meeting of Society for Psychotherapy Research, Madison, WI.
• Elliott, R. (June, 2007). Change Process Research: Realizing the Promise. Paper Presented at meeting of the Society for Psychotherapy Research, Madison, WI..

Membership of professional bodies

Professor Elliott is a Fellow of the Divisions of Humanistic Psychology and Psychotherapy of the American Psychological Association. He is a past president of the Society for Psychotherapy Research and has served on the Board of the World Association for Person-Centred and Experiential Psychotherapy and Counselling.

University responsibilities

Member of Research Leadership committee of the Faculty of Education; member of management team, Counselling Unit; Chair research committee, Counselling Unit.

External responsibilities

Professor Elliott is Scientific Director of the International Project on the Effectiveness of Psychotherapy and Psychotherapy Training; Chair of the Scottish Consortium for Counselling & Psychotherapy Research; and member of the steering committee for the UK Chapter of the Society for Psychotherapy Research.