I remember reading somewhere (does anyone remember where?) that while there’s little evidence for one school of psychological or psychiatric therapy over another, there is strong evidence that spending a lot of time with an intelligent, sympathetic listener is good for you.
I’ve also read that teenage girls are as effective as professionally trained therapists...
All kinds of therapists or just traditional psychoanalysts? The efficacy of cognitive behavioral therapy is supposed to have strong empirical support. I wouldn’t be very surprised if it turned out that most of that support is critically flawed but I also wouldn’t be surprised if the study you’re referring to was behind the times.
All kinds of therapists or just traditional psychoanalysts?
Probably just traditional psychoanalysis. I mean, lying on the couch and discussing sexual topics, is there something a teenager wouldn’t be able to do? On the other hand, rational thinking and proper behavior, that’s like an exact opposite of being a teenager. :)
Me too. I’ve also read that teenage girls are as effective as professionally trained therapists… and even that you might not need a human listener at all to get the benefits; just keeping a diary helps.
http://lesswrong.com/lw/2j/schools_proliferating_without_evidence/ and http://lesswrong.com/lw/94t/meta_analysis_of_writing_therapy/ seem relevant.
If you want more detailed refs including the claim that the particular school matters much less than the quality of the therapist (with an honorable exception for CBT), http://counsellingbooks.com/bibliography/theory-and-research/general-and-comparative.html#LambertBergin_1994 http://counsellingbooks.com/bibliography/theory-and-research/general-and-comparative.html#BeutlerEtAl_1994 are relevant.
All kinds of therapists or just traditional psychoanalysts? The efficacy of cognitive behavioral therapy is supposed to have strong empirical support. I wouldn’t be very surprised if it turned out that most of that support is critically flawed but I also wouldn’t be surprised if the study you’re referring to was behind the times.
Dunno, it’s just something that I remember hearing once. I couldn’t find a source.
I did manage to come across the name for this effect: Dodo Bird Verdict.
Probably just traditional psychoanalysis. I mean, lying on the couch and discussing sexual topics, is there something a teenager wouldn’t be able to do? On the other hand, rational thinking and proper behavior, that’s like an exact opposite of being a teenager. :)