The ABCDE-Model of counseling and psychotherapy: An integrative approach developed from clinical practice at a counseling service for students

Abstract

A comprehensive model of integrative psychotherapy that has been derived from clinical practice at the Counseling Service for Students of the University of Heidelberg is outlined. The ABCDE-model of integrative psychotherapy is based on established therapeutic methods and is composed of the dimensions of Alliance, Behavior, Cognitions, Dynamics and Existentials. Based on the therapeutic alliance and the general principles of understanding and communication, it comprises cognitive-behavioral, psychodynamic, and existential elements and employs hermeneutics as a meta-theoretical framework. The evaluation of integrative counseling according to the ABCDE-model in a naturalistic single-group pre-post design demonstrated a clinically significant improvement within a rather short number of sessions. Therefore, the integrative model of psychotherapy is an important contribution to evidence-based practice. Moreover, models of training in psychotherapy and counseling for the better education of future therapists can be developed on the basis of the ABCDE-model.