Research

Dr. Kopta is a leading expert in psychotherapy and mental health, with numerous published articles, a book, a video, chapters in books, and scholarly paper presentations. He specializes in the assessment of behavioral health and improving psychotherapy treatments.

Dr. Kopta is Founder and Executive Director, CelestHealth Research Group. CHRG is a group of highly accomplished researchers and clinicians in the mental health field. The CHRG has three research centers - Johns Hopkins University, Marquette University, and University of Denver.

With regard to child and adolescent psychiatry, Dr. Kopta coauthored the book—Right Versus Wrong: Raising a Child with a Conscience (2000). The book describes how children develop healthy values. He has coauthored articles on child/adolescent development and mental health published in psychiatry's most influential journals.


SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

Coleman, J.J., Dong, Y., Dumas, D., Owen, J., & Kopta, M. (in press). Longitudinal variance of the Behavioral Health Measure in a clinical sample. Journal of Counseling Psychology.

Coleman, J. J., Drinane, J. M., Owen, J., & Kopta, S. M. (2019). Establishing expectations: Exploring session limits in university counseling centers. Journal of College Student Psychotherapy.

Owen, J., *Drinane, J. M., Adelson, J. L., Kopta, M. (2019). The psychotherapy outcome problem: The development of the outcome stability index. Psychotherapy Research, 29(2), 226-233.

Owen, J., Drinane, J., Kivlighan, M., Miller, S., Kopta, M., & Imel, Z. (2019). Are high performing therapists both effective and consistent? A test of therapist expertise. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology.

Coleman, J. J., Drinane, J. M., Owen, J., & Kopta, S. M. (2019). Establishing expectations: Exploring session limits in university counseling centers. Journal of College Student Psychotherapy.

Drinane, J., Owen, J., & Kopta, M. (2016). Good enough level and dose-effect models: Does the outcome matter? Testing, Psychometrics, Methodology in Applied Psychology, 23,4, 531-544.

Owen, J. Adelson, J., Budge, S., Kopta, M., Reese, J. (2016). Good-enough level and dose-effect models: Variation among outcomes and therapists. Psychotherapy Research, 26, 22-30.

Drinane, J., Owen, J., & Kopta, M. (2016). Racial/ethnic disparities in psychotherapy: Does the outcome matter? Testing, Psychometrics, Methodology in Applied Psychology, 23, 4, 531-544.

Owen, J. Adelson, J., Budge, S., Kopta, M., Reese, J. (2016). Good-enough level and dose-effect models: Variation among outcomes and therapists. Psychotherapy Research, 26, 22-30.

Rubel, J., Lutz, W., Kopta, S.M., Kock, K., Zimmerman, D., Minami, T., & Saunders, S.M. (2015) Defining early positive Response to Psychotherapy: An Empirical Comparison between clinically significant change criteria and growth mixture modeling. Psychological Assessment.

Owen, J., Adelson, J., Budge, S., Wampold, B. E., Kopta, M., Minami, T., & Miller, S. D. (2015). Trajectories of change in short-term psychotherapy. Journal of Clinical Psychology

Kopta, M., Owen, J., & Budge, S. (2015). Measuring psychotherapy outcomes with the Behavioral Health Measure–20: Efficient and comprehensive. Psychotherapy, Invited article. 52, 442-448.

Owen, J., Adelson, J., Budge, S., Wampold, B. E., Kopta, M., Minami, T., & Miller, S. D. (2015). Trajectories of change in short-term psychotherapy. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 71, 817-827.

Kopta, S.M., Petrik, M., Saunders, S., Mond, M., Hirsch, G., Kadison, R., and Raymond, D. (2014). The utility of an efficient outcomes assessment system at university counseling centers. Journal of College Student Psychotherapy, 28, 97-116.

Owen, J.J., Adelson, J., Budge, S., Kopta, S.M., & Reese, R.J. (2014). Good-enough level and dose-effect models: Variation among outcomes and therapists. Psychotherapy Research.

Stulz, N., Lutz, W., Kopta, S.M., Minami, T., & Saunders, S. (2013). The shape of the dose-effect relationship in outpatient psychotherapy: Does treatment duration matter? Journal of Counseling Psychology, 60, 593-600.

Budge, S. Owen, J.J., Kopta, S.M., Minami, T. Hanson, M. R., & Hirsch, G. (2012). Differences among trainees in client outcomes associated with the phase model of change. Psychotherapy, 50, 150-157.

Bryan, C., Kopta, S.M., & Lowes, B.D. (2012). The CelestHealth system. Integrating Science and Practice, 2, 7-11.

Kopta, S.M. (2003). The dose-effect relationship in psychotherapy: A defining achievement for Dr. Kenneth Howard. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 59, 727-733.

Green, J.L., Lowry, J.L., & Kopta, S.M (2003). College students versus college counseling center clients: What are the differences? Journal of College Student Psychotherapy, 17, 25-37.

Kopta, S.M. & Lowry, J.L. (2002). The dosage model in psychotherapy. In M. Hersen & W. Sledge (Eds.), Encyclopedia of psychotherapy. New York: Academic Press.

Kopta, S.M., & Lowry, J.L. (2002). Psychometric evaluation of the Behavioral Health Questionnaire-20: A brief instrument for assessing global mental health and the three phases of psychotherapy outcome. Psychotherapy Research, 12, 413-426.

Lutz, W., Lowry, J.L., Kopta, S.M., Einstein, D., & Howard, K.I. (2001). Prediction of dose-response relations-based patient characteristics. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 57, 889-900.

Kopta, S.M. (2001). See past the evil monsters of today. Los Angeles Times, December 24, B11.Kopta, S.M., Saunders, S.M., Lueger, R.L., & Howard, K.I. (1999). Individual psychotherapy outcome and process research: Challenges leading to greater turmoil or a positive transition? 1999 Annual Review of Psychology, 50, 441-469.

Leon, S.C., Kopta, S.M., Howard, K.I., & Lutz, W. (1999). Predicting patients’ responses to psychotherapy: Are some more predictable than others? Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 67, 698-704.

Stilwell, B.M., Galvin, M., Kopta, S.M., & Padgett, R.J. (1998). Moral volition: The fifth and final domain leading to an integrated theory of conscience functioning. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 37, 202-210.

Galvin, M.R., Stilwell, B.M., Shektar, A., Kopta, S.M., & Goldfarb, S. (1997). Maltreatment, conscience functioning, and dopamine beta hydroxylase in emotionally disturbed boys. Child Abuse and Neglect: The International Journal, 21, 83-92.

Howard, K.I., Krause, M.S., Saunders, S.M., & Kopta, S.M. (1997). Meta-analysis of treatment differences: Trials and tribulations. Psychological Bulletin, 122, 221-225.

Stilwell, B.M., Galvin, M., Kopta, S.M., & Padgett, R.J. (1997). Moralization of attachment: fourth domain of conscience functioning. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 36, 1140-1147.

Stilwell, B.M., Galvin, M., Kopta, S.M.& Padgett,R.J. (1996). Moral valuation: A third domain of conscience functioning. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 35, 230-239.

Kopta, S.M., Howard, K.I., Lowry, J.L., & Beutler, L.E. (1996). Patterns of symptomatic recovery in psychotherapy. In J.J. Paladino (Ed.) Annual editions: Abnormal Psychology 96/97. Guilford, CN: Brown & Benchmark.

Kopta, S.M., Howard, K.I., Lowry, J.L., & Beutler, L.E. (1994). Patterns of symptomatic recovery in psychotherapy. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 62, 1009-1016.

Stilwell, B.M., Galvin, M., Kopta, S.M., & Norton, J.A. (1994). Moral-emotional responsiveness: Two domains of conscience functioning. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 33, 130-139.

Stilwell, B.M., Galvin, M., & Kopta, S.M. (1991). Conceptualization of the conscience in normal children and adolescents, ages 5 to 17. Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, 30, 16-21.

Kopta, S.M., Newman, F.I., McGovern, M.P., & Angle, R.S. (1989). The relationship between years of psychotherapeutic experience and conceptualizations, interventions, and treatment plan costs. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 20, 59-61.

Newman, F.L., Kopta, S.M., McGovern, M.P., Howard, K.I. & McNeilly, C.L. (1988). Evaluating trainees relative to their supervisors during the psychology internship. Invited paper for special mini-series on psychotherapy training. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 56, 659-665.

Howard, K.I., Kopta, S.M., Krause, M.S., & Orlinsky, D.E. (1986). The dose-effect relationship in psychotherapy. American Psychologist, 41, 159-164.

Kopta, S.M., Newman, F.L., McGovern, M.P., & Sandrock, D. (1986). Psychotherapeutic orientations: A comparison of conceptualizations, interventions, and treatment plan costs. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 54, 369-374.

McGovern, M.P., Newman, F.L., & Kopta, S.M. (1986). Meta-theoretical assumptions psychotherapy orientation: Clinician attributions of patient's problem causality and responsibility for treatment outcome. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 54, 476-481.

Newman, F.L., Heverly, M.A., Rosen, M., Kopta, S.M. & Bedell, B. (1984). Influences on internal evaluation data dependability: Clinicians as a source of variance. In A. Love (Editor), Developing effective internal evaluation: New directions for program evaluation (pp.71-92). San Francisco: Josey Bass Publishers.