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. His dosage model is one of the most cited scientific models in psychotherapy. The Encyclopedia of Psychotherapy selected the dosage model as one of the most influential psychotherapy theories of the 20th Century and Encyclopaedia Britannica featured the model in its 1988 Yearbook of Science and the Future.
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. They are associated with the following universities: Harvard University, Johns Hopkins University, Loyola University-Chicago, University of Minnesota, Marquette University, Loyola College in Maryland, and University of Trier, Germany. There are two research centers - one at Marquette University and the other at the University of Trier in Germany. There are also three primary research sites--Harvard University Health Services, Johns Hopkins University Counseling Center, and University of Minnesota Counseling and Consulting Services. Three University of Evansville students—Natalia Potrzuski, Leslie Doll, and Lacey Conley—as well as doctoral students at other universities are working on CHRG projects.
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
Articles preceded by an asterisk (*) have been mentioned in introductory psychology textbooks.
*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.
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.
*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., 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.
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.
*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. (2000). Right versus wrong: Raising a child with a conscience. Bloomington, Indiana: Indiana University Press.
Kopta, S.M. (2001). See past the evil monsters of today. Los Angeles Times, December 24, B11.
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.
