A selected body of psychotherapy research is reviewed with the intent of illustrating the importance of the individual therapist to treatment process and outcome. It is suggested that particular therapy techniques have not been shown to be especially important in the therapy process and outcome despite the fact that they have been the central focus of research during the last decade. Current outcome research designs treat the unique influence exerted by the therapist as "error" variance rather than an integral part of the change process. Despite this tendency, evidence supporting the importance of individual therapists is widespread. Although the study of individual therapists has little methodological or theoretical appeal, it is concluded that further study of particular therapists is a logical and empirically defensible necessity. Points for further research are suggested. © 1989.
CITATION STYLE
Lambert, M. J. (1989). The individual therapist’s contribution to psychotherapy process and outcome. Clinical Psychology Review, 9(4), 469–485. https://doi.org/10.1016/0272-7358(89)90004-4
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