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Evaluating Psychotherapies
Is Psychotherapy Effective?
Because the positive testimonials of clients and therapists cannot prove
that therapy is actually effective, psychologists have conducted
hundreds of studies of psychotherapys outcomes. Meta-analyses of
these studies reveal that (1) people who remain untreated often
improve; (2) those who receive psychotherapy are more likely to
improve, regardless of what kind of therapy they receive and for how
long; (3) people with clear-cut specific problems often receive the
greatest benefits from therapy; but (4) placebo treatments or the
sympathy and friendly counsel of paraprofessionals also tend to
produce more improvement than occurs when people receive no
treatment.
The Relative Effectiveness of Different Therapies
Although no one type of therapy can be said to be most effective
overall, some therapies are particularly well-suited to specific disorders.
Behavioral conditioning, for example, is effective in treating phobias and
compulsions.
Evaluating Alternative Therapies
Of the three alternative therapies consideredtherapeutic touch,
EMDR, and light exposure therapyonly light exposure therapy has
held up under scientific testing.