Method-oriented strategies and process-oriented strategies of psychotherapists

Several studies have shown that the use of therapeutic methods as well as the development of the therapeutic alliance are relevant for the success of therapy. It is not clear in which way therapists use these two strategies and how far they are empirically related to each other. The following study with a sample of 6 therapists (3 male and 3 female) cook place in the context: of the Bochum anxiety treatment study. 18 patients with an anxiety disorder, mainly panic disorder with agoraphobia (DSM-III-R) were treated with cognitive-behavioral methods. The present study tries to verify whether both strategies (method-oriented strategy and process-oriented strategy) can be found even on a micro-level of discrete intentions during the therapeutic process. For that purpose the change of the therapists' intentions was tested on the level of therapy-sessions (N = 82). It was assumed that a method-oriented strategy differs from an process-oriented strategy in its higher grade of continuity (less change of intentions), its higher grade of deliberate planning (vs, spontaneousness) and its higher quote of realization (vs. postponing because of different circumstances in therapy). Futhermore, positive correlations between the method-oriented strategy (vs. process-oriented strategy) and the success of the therapy were expected. The assumptions could be widely confirmed.