Towards practice-based evidence in psychotherapy

Abstract

Evidence-based practice in psychology has shown the effectiveness of a multitude of psychotherapeutic procedures and treatments aimed at addressing a whole series of psychological problems and the so-called mental disorders. However, there are still some open questions regarding which factors influence the results of therapy the most, along with the difficulty of applying the knowledge acquired under controlled conditions to the clinical practice faced by specialists in natural contexts. This paper reviews these questions, as well as some methodological and theoretical problems related to evidence-based practice. In addition, the concept of practice-based evidence is proposed as a way to build bridges between the most controlled research situations and routine practice, reviewing and highlighting those elements of the therapeutic process that contribute to improving the results of psychotherapy.