Our research group on Intervention in Clinical and Health Psychology and Promotion of Well-Being (recognized by the Generalitat de Catalunya: 2021 SGR 00666) is aimed at advancing the knowledge and increasing the quality of psychological interventions in the areas of mental and physical health. For that purpose, we have adapted and validated instruments for the assessment of the outcome of these interventions (e.g. CORE-OM) which can now be used by other researchers and practitioners .
We pay particular attention to the study of identity processes, cognitive conflicts, and their role in the change process. To this aim, personal construct and self-regulation theories (both based on constructivist epistemology) have been important sources of inspiration for implementation, both in research and practice. Our work is conducted using methods derived from these approaches, such as textual or content analysis and the Repertory Grid Technique (RGT), a technique with which can identify conflicts in the cognitive structure of interviewees. These conflicts (or dilemmas) often become a hindrance for personal development or progress either in life or in psychotherapy.
With these methods we have studied the cognitive structures of people of different conditions (e.g., depression, eating disorders, fibromyalgia, victims of partner violence) and compared them to community and student samples.
We have also created some therapy manuals for those interventions derived from the above mentioned theories with potential for innovation and compared them (in terms of their efficacy and utility) with others like cognitive behavioral therapy in randomized clinical trials. One of these trials targeting depressive symptoms of patients with fibromyalgia is now being launched. It compares the efficacy of systematic case formulation based in personal construct therapy with that based in cognitive behavioral therapy.
A complementary line of research explores construing processes in couples and families, and their role in systemic couples/family therapy.