Why empirically supported psychological treatments are important

The emergence of managed care and similar reimbursement systems that require greater accountability and the development of clinical practice guidelines have increased the importance of evidence-based clinical practice. As a result of these two trends, it appears as though the future of psychotherapy will require clinicians to deliver a psychological intervention that is supported by research. Such treatments exist for a variety of the most common presenting problems (e.g., anxiety disorders, depression) but to date have frequently gone unrecognized and underutilized. The current article will discuss the importance of identifying, promoting, and disseminating empirically supported therapies with an emphasis on the efforts of the American Psychological Association Society of Clinical Psychology's Committee on Science and Practice.