Common curative factors in psychotherapy: Who and what makes psychotherapy effective?

Abstract

The article gives an overview of different approaches about the understanding of how psychotherapy works. Based on the biopsychosocial model, the evidence-based practice approach postulates a framework for professional psychotherapeutic actions. As a basic assumption, all persons involved in the therapy have an active participation and therefore provide variability in process and outcomes. Common curative factors, such as the willingness and preparedness of the patients for change, the collaborative quality of the working alliance and the therapist’s involvement with systematic feedback are proposed to transcend the gaps between research and practice.