Healing Outcomes: An Integrative Approach for Measuring Psychotherapy Effectiveness

We believe that this book is important because it presents an integrative multi-level theory called the systems-contextual integrative model (SCIM) that unites personality and contextual influences in an elaboration of Andras Angyal’s (1965) theory of health (healing) and neurosis (trauma) systems principles. Methodologically, our book links this meta-theory of change with the latest innovations in idiographic, process-oriented measurement that will guide practice research network applications. This book will be useful for psychotherapy theorists who aim to develop unified models that will facilitate further research on core processes that will promote outcome effectiveness. Our book will be interesting to practitioners who wish not only to measure outcomes but also to understand and integrate wholistic person-centered personality processes with environmental contexts to promote these healing outcomes. Students studying clinical and counseling psychology will learn a comprehensive, unified overview of current psychotherapy outcomes research and measurement.

Raymond C. Hawkins, II, PhD, ABPP (Clinical Psychology) is a licensed psychologist who has been engaged in clinical health psychology research and practice for over 50 years, beginning with his doctoral studies at the University of Pennsylvania. Since 1975 Dr. Hawkins has conducted clinical psychology research as a faculty member of the Psychology Dept. at The University of Texas at Austin (former Director of the UT Clinical Psychology Training Clinic). From 2004 to 2024 he was a Core Faculty member (now Professor Emeritus) in the Clinical Psychology PhD Program at Fielding Graduate University. Dr. Hawkins has co-edited three books (Exceptional Infant 4: Psychosocial Risks in Infant-Environment Transactions, Brunner / Mazel; 1980; The Binge – Purge Syndrome, Springer, 1984; Clinical Health Psychology: Cultural Considerations, Fielding University Press, 2020) and has many peer-reviewed research publications and conference presentations. Dr. Hawkins co-founded the Austin Stress Clinic in 1980. He was a clinical psychologist at Austin Regional Clinic for 22 years, where he developed and led the Family Recovery Program, an outpatient treatment program for substance abuse patients. His research projects have included studying evidence-based assessment and interventions in two practice research networks (the UT Austin Clinical Psychology Training Clinic and the Fielding Training Clinic at New Life Institute, which he directed until December 2023). In November 2024 he received the “Outstanding Contribution to Education” award from the Texas Psychological Association.

Scott T. Meier, PhD, is Professor Emeritus, the Department of Counseling, School, and Educational Psychology, Graduate School of Education, and Affiliate Faculty Member with the Institute for Artificial Intelligence and Data Science, University at Buffalo.   He is a licensed psychologist who received his PhD in Counseling Psychology from Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, in 1984.  Meier’s major research and teaching areas focus on psychological measurement (particularly progress monitoring and outcome assessment), research methods, and counseling and psychotherapy. Meier is the author or co-author of multiple books (including Incorporating Progress Monitoring and Outcome Assessment into Counseling and Psychotherapy, Measuring Change in Counseling and Psychotherapy, Elements of Counseling, and Narratives and Language in Counseling and Psychotherapy) and has published in the American Psychologist, Professional Psychology:  Research and Practice, Journal of Counseling Psychology, Measurement and Evaluation in Counseling and Development, The Clinical Supervisor, and the American Journal of Evaluation.