Evidence-Based Therapy
The insight-oriented therapies are no darling of those who set up research experiments
In the peculiar land of shrinks, evidence-based therapy is a phrase we use a lot. It’s supposed to refer to therapy that’s backed by scientific evidence. But what they call evidence-based therapy is not evidence-based therapy. It’s a term for a standardized, manualized, commoditized therapy protocol. It’s not necessarily the best therapy for you.
Let’s look at how the term got invented. There are a zillion brands of psychotherapy because every therapist wants to stand out from the rest. Once a shrink’s schedule is full, they can’t expand like other businesses; so, they write a book, make a Ted Talk, go on the training circuit, and sell their experience to other therapists. Looking to get a leg up on the competition, they take their techniques and study them with the scientific method. They test a hypothesis that their way gets positive results. Then they use those results to support their claims. That’s how we are said to get evidenced-based therapy.
Meanwhile, if you’re a therapist, you’re constantly hearing about new books, watching Ted Talks, and getting all those flyers for training seminars. It seems like everyone wants to teach you something. Which do you choose? What’s the very best? If you have an…
