Traditional research and psychotherapy practice

Journal/Book: J Clin Psychol. 1999; 55: 605 Third Ave, New York, NY 10158-0012, USA. John Wiley & Sons Inc. 1429-1440.

Abstract: Practitioners of psychotherapy hold different assumptions about the predictability and constancy of human actions than those required by the inferential logic employed in traditional research. Psychotherapy requires the use of judgment by therapists that goes beyond the direct application of generalized knowledge. Judgment: is sensitive to the particular, contextual, and changing situation characteristic of therapy practice. Therapists decisions about what to do and say are informed by, but go beyond, that which is available in their knowledge bases. Therapists' knowledge bases include their own, as well as vicarious, experiences. Therapists can parse traditional research into descriptive and inferential components, and by treating the descriptive component as Vicarious experiences, they can incorporate it into their knowledge base.

Note: Article Polkinghorne DE, Univ So Calif, Div Counseling & Educ Psychol, WPH 5036, Univ Pk, Los Angeles,CA 90089 USA

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