The outcome of psychotherapy: Yesterday, today, and tomorrow.

Abstract

In 1963, the first issue of the journal Psychotherapy appeared. Responding to findings reported in a previous publication by Eysenck (1952), Strupp wrote of the "staggering research problems" (p. 2) confronting the field and the necessity of conducting "properly planned an executed experimental studies" to resolve questions about the process and outcome of psychotherapy. Today, both the efficacy and effectiveness of psychotherapy has been well established. Despite the consistent findings substantiating the field's worth, a significant question remains the subject of debate: how does psychotherapy work? On this subject, debate continues to divide the profession. In this paper, a "way out" is proposed informed by research on the therapist's contribution to treatment outcome and findings from studies on the acquisition of expertise.

Neuroimaging of psychotherapy for obsessive–compulsive disorder: A systematic review

“…Neurobiological changes after treatment are probably only partly related to the specific therapeutic characteristics, since emotional, cognitive and behavioral changes following therapy are quite often more related to other factors than psychotherapy itself (Wampold, 2001(Wampold, , 2005Miller et al, 2013). The effect of common and specific treatment factors in OCD has been investigated in terms of treatment characteristics such as length, intensity and focus (Keeley et al, 2008;Rosa-Alcázar et al, 2008;Olatunji et al, 2013a).…”

Untitled

“…In recent years there has been an increased interest in studying the role of the therapist in producing client change (Baldwin & Imel, 2011;Miller, Hubble, Chow, & Seidel, 2013;Okiishi, Lambert, Nielsen, & Ogles, 2003). A number of studies have documented that client outcomes frequently differ from one therapist to the next, even when the therapists use identical treatments (Crits-Christoph & Mintz, 1991;Laska, Smith, Wislocki, Minami, & Wampold, 2013;Wampold & Brown, 2005).…”

Training Family Therapists for Working in the Schools

“…As others have found, the solicitation of feedback about the quality of the relationship system is instrumental to a positive outcome in the therapy (Miller et al 2013). The practitioners at FISP have different theoretical orientations but share a philosophical belief in the therapeutic common factors such as a respectful, strength-based, collaborative, and feedback-oriented approach to working with school and family systems (Grencavage and Norcross 1990).…”