Some comments on empirically supported treatments

A number of developments have occurred in the field of psychotherapy in recent years. One pertains to the emphasis on empirically supported or validated therapies for specific psychiatric disorders. Although this emphasis on empirical support is a positive one, the creation of numerous forms of therapy for specific psychiatric categories, and the possible implication that training in such therapies becomes the basis for accreditation of university programs, is viewed critically. A focus on forms of psychotherapy also tends to diminish the importance of patient and therapist characteristics in producing positive outcomes. Future research needs to ascertain the variables that actually produce positive patient change.