Pursuing Psychotherapy II

What to be Wary Of

In part one of the Pursuing Psychotherapy blog post, we figured out how to choose the right type of therapist and treatment for our needs. In Part II we’ll discuss what to be wary of: therapists who treat based on their own opinions and experience, and alternative treatments. 

Here’s why:

Opinion and experience-based therapy has been proven to be insufficient for effective treatment. Instead, what you’ll want to see is someone who follows up to date research on which  treatments are effective. 

In proper science jargon, we call this Evidence Based Practice (EBP). Evidence-Based Practice is practice which matches the following three of these criteria: 

1. Clinician Experience

The therapist should treat clients according to their training, skills, and expertise. If a certain type of treatment could help a client and the therapist is not experienced or trained in that treatment, then it is the wrong treatment to use at that time.

2. Client Preference

Treatment should be based on what the client prefers. If a certain type of treatment could help the client and the client does not feel comfortable with those methods, then it is the wrong treatment to use at that time.

3. Current Research

Treatment should be backed and supported by the most current research which states that this method of treatment has been proven to be effective to treat this specific problem. If a certain type of treatment has not been proven by research to be effective or effective for a given presenting issue, then it is the wrong treatment to use at that time.

The way a treatment becomes classified as an EBP, and thereby recommended, is through conducting specialized experiments known as Randomized Control Trials (RCTs), which measure treatment effectiveness. A treatment that does not have enough RCTs is not considered evidence based, (yet), because we just don’t know for sure that it solves the problems we are looking to treat. 

Below are some names of evidence based treatments, and what they are helpful for,listed as follows:

• Behavioral Activation or Cognitive Therapy - for Depression 

• Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy - for repeated episodes of depression 

• Acceptance and Commitment Therapy - for...everything :)

• Dialectical Behavior Therapy - for emotion dysregulation 

• Exposure - for anxiety-based disorders (anxiety, panic, OCD, specific phobias) 

• Prolonged Exposure or Cognitive Processing Therapy for - PTSD

• Parent management training - for child-related behavior problems. 

Now, besides for EBPs, there are also unconventional modalities of therapy available. Alternative treatments have their place and are helpful as well. However, you don’t find many people choosing them as their first choice for treatment, since they are instead something to explore IF standard treatment has not worked for you (and it was being provided by someone who knew how to do it!). 

Knowing these facts will help get you to the right therapist and evidenced-based practitioner, ensuring your treatment is successful and effective in getting you to your goals.