Increasing evidence indicates that psychological factors important to therapy effectiveness are associated with physiological activity. Knowledge of the physiological correlates of therapy process variables has the potential to provide unique insights into how and why therapy works, but little is currently known about the physiological underpinnings of specific therapy processes that facilitate client growth and change. The goal of this article is to introduce therapy process researchers to the use of physiological methods for studying therapy process variables. We do this by (a) presenting a conceptual framework for the study of therapy process variables, (b) providing an introductory overview of physiological systems with particular promise for the study of therapy process variables, (c) introducing the primary methods and methodological decisions involved in physiological research, and (d) demonstrating these principles and methods in a case of therapeutic presence during couple therapy. We close with a discussion of the promise and challenges in the study of physiological correlates of therapy process variables and consideration of future challenges and open questions in this line of research. Online supplemental materials include additional resources for therapy process researchers interested in getting started with physiological research. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

中文翻译：

---

将生理学纳入心理治疗过程的研究。


越来越多的证据表明，对治疗效果很重要的心理因素与生理活动有关。了解治疗过程变量的生理相关性有可能为治疗如何以及为何发挥作用提供独特的见解，但目前对促进客户成长和改变的特定治疗过程的生理基础知之甚少。本文的目的是向治疗过程研究人员介绍如何使用生理方法来研究治疗过程变量。我们通过以下方式做到这一点：（a）提出治疗过程变量研究的概念框架，（b）提供生理系统的介绍性概述，特别是治疗过程变量研究的前景，（c）介绍主要方法和方法学决策参与生理学研究，以及（d）在夫妻治疗期间存在治疗的情况下展示这些原理和方法。最后，我们讨论了治疗过程变量的生理相关性研究的前景和挑战，并考虑了这一研究领域的未来挑战和悬而未决的问题。在线补充材料包括为有兴趣开始生理研究的治疗过程研究人员提供的额外资源。 （PsycInfo 数据库记录 (c) 2020 APA，保留所有权利）。