important element that contributes greatly to the suc-
cess of psychotherapy (Norcross & Wampold, 2011).
Although not all therapists would elevate the relation-
ship to the status of the primary“curative”agent,
almost all therapists would attest to the unique impor-
tance of the relationship. Where else can patients find
an accepting, nonjudgmental atmosphere in which to
discuss their innermost urges, secrets, and disappoint-
ments? Discussions of this kind with a friend or relative
always seem to contain an implicit aura of evaluation
and often lead to unforeseen complications because
the other person has a personal stake in the mattersBOX11-2 Clinical Psychologist Perspective: Dianne L. Chambless, Ph.D.Dianne Chambless is the Merriam Term Professor of
Psychology and Director of Clinical Training at the Uni-
versity Pennsylvania. Before coming to Penn she was a
faculty member at the University of Georgia, American
University, and the University of North Carolina at
Chapel Hill. Professor Chambless’s scholarly and profes-
sional work is focused on the psychopathology and
treatment of anxiety disorders and on identification and
dissemination of empirically supported psychotherapies.
She chaired Division 12’s original task force on empiri-
cally supported therapies (ESTs). For her work on ESTs,
she has been recognized with awards, including the
Florence Halpern Award for distinguished professional
contributions to clinical psychology from Division 12 in
2000 and the Klaus-Grawe Award for the Advancement
of Innovative Research in Clinical Psychology and Psy-
chotherapy in 2011. Professor Chambless has served on
the editorial boards of numerous journals and was
associate editor of theJournal of Consulting and Clinical
Psychology.Her research has been recognized by fund-
ing from NIMH and by a number of awards, including
the Association for Advancement of Behavior Therapy’s
New Researcher Award in 1978 and the Aaron T. Beck
Award for Significant and Enduring Contributions to
Cognitive Therapy from the Academy of Cognitive
Therapy in 2010.
Dr. Chambless describes her background, interests,
and expertise in clinical psychology.What originally got you interested in the field of
clinical psychology?
I considered a number of majors in college (indeed, I
majored in political science) and only discovered my
fascination with psychology toward the end of my
undergraduate years when I learned that all of psy-
chology didn’t revolve around rats. I then wavered
between clinical and social psychology but eventually
chose clinical because of my desire to do something
that would have a beneficial impact on society. It wasthe 60s, and social activism was in the air. I think I
chose well. I still find social psychology highly interest-
ing, but I think I’m a better clinical researcher than I
would have been a social psychology lab researcher.Describe what activities you are involved in as a
clinical psychologist.
One of the things I love about clinical psychology is the
variety of activities I can engage in. I’m rarely bored,
and there’s always more I can learn. In my position I do
administration as the director of the clinical psychology
program in our department, I conduct research on
treatment of anxiety disorders, I do some clinical work
as part of my development of new interventions, I
supervise graduate students and therapists in my
treatment trials, and I teach undergraduate and doc-
toral students. I get to do it all! I particularly love
mentoring graduate students.What are your particular areas of expertise or interest?
I’m especially interested in psychotherapy research on
anxiety disorders. Even more specifically, I’m intrigued
by the family relationships of people with anxiety dis-
orders and how these can help or hinder clients’pro-
gress in treatment. One of my current projects involves
the development of an adjunctive couple/family therapy
for people with anxiety disorders who are receiving
cognitive-behavioral treatment, which is based on my
research on family factors that influence treatment
outcome. My students and I also conduct research on
factors that influence therapists’willingness to obtain
training in and adopt empirically supported treatments.What are the future trends you see for clinical
psychology?
There are a number of important directions in our field.
I’ll focus on one of these. Clinical psychologists were for
some decades able to practice as they wished without
being held accountable to third-party payers. That era is318 CHAPTER 11