Effectiveness of Psychotherapeutic Treatment

Abstract

Decades of research compellingly demonstrate that when aligned with a wise, skillful, sound provider, clients entering psychotherapeutic treatments can expect to reduce symptoms, accelerate natural healing processes, improve life functioning, and learn additional coping strategies. Those who seek therapy consistently have better outcomes than those who do not receive treatment (or who are on a waitlist) and a broad range of therapies have been shown to assist patients make changes that are both statistically and clinically meaningful in relatively short periods of time. For many clinical disorders, about 50% of all patients return to normal functioning in 10 to 20 sessions. An additional 25 percent of patients experience substantial improvement when dosage levels are increased to 30 to 50 sessions. With the exception of disorders that tend to recur (e. g., addiction disorders), the benefits from treatment appear to be durable as the results of follow-up studies suggest that the effects of treatment last for at least one to five years subsequent to treatment. These results seem at least partially attributable to the emphasis and efforts that psychotherapists make to provide more than support. Personality changes and re-organization of the self often occur.
Changes appear to be due to factors common across theory-based treatments rather than to specific unique treatment methods.