Evidence base for psychotherapy: two perspectives

This column turns again to the evidence base for psychotherapy as presented in two recently published books. In Psychodynamic Therapy: A Guide to Evidence-Based Practice, R. Summers and J. Barber present "pragmatic psychodynamic psychotherapy" in a format that closely links the methodology to its basis in scholarly studies and formal research. Their application of psychodynamic psychotherapy is founded on a comprehensive view of human mental function. Therapists tailor the therapeutic work to the individual needs of each patient, applying psychodynamic principles but also adapting useful interventions from other psychotherapeutic approaches and psychopharmacology. Psychotherapy Is Worth It: A Comprehensive Review of Its Cost-Effectiveness, edited by S. Lazar, collates and summarizes an extensive literature of studies showing effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of psychotherapy in many conditions from a broad variety of perspectives. The format provides informative overviews of each study along with tables that succinctly compare their distinctive features. A highly informative introduction sets the stage.