The placebo effect in psychotherapy

The relationship between psychotherapy and placebo has been debated ever since the clinical dawn of both interventions, even though they differ considerably in appearance and application. Two positions can be distinguished: On the one hand, both psychotherapy and placebo are psychologic interventions with proven clinically significant effects and similar mechanisms. But on the other hand, they are perceived as rather different - if not opposite - in both appearance as well as true nature. This review presents a historical perspective on the shared genesis of placebo and psychotherapy, touches upon the importance of how placebo and psychotherapy are defined, discusses the designs and uses of placebo-control conditions in psychotherapy research, examines the possibility of placebo psychotherapy, and considers how the appreciation of the respective finding depends on the underlying definition of psychotherapy. It is concluded that psychotherapy and placebo might share more than readily apparent or considered acceptable but that the appreciation of what is usually seen as clinical chaff might not only be feasible but also warranted.