Eysenck, Strupp, and 50 years of psychotherapy research: a personal perspective

In this article, we review the status of psychotherapy research at the time of the founding of the journal Psychotherapy, and trace its history over the past 50 years, spanning the career of the first author. We trace this history in the context of the development of treatments for panic disorder and agoraphobia emanating from our research program. In so doing, we discuss the early visions of Strupp and Eysenck and the realization of many of their own goals for psychotherapy research. We conclude with a view toward the future based on cumulative knowledge of psychotherapy and psychopathology and, in the context of that knowledge, the type of ideal research programs that will be required.