What Makes Therapy Effective?
Keys to Effective Therapy
- ENGAGING AND DRAWING OUT CLIENT STRENGTHS AND RESOURCES
- ESTABLISHING STRONG, COLLABORATIVE WORKING RELATIONSHIPS WITH CLIENTS
- SOLICITING AND BEING RESPONSIVE TO CRITICAL FEEDBACK
- BEING FLEXIBLE AND ADAPTING THERAPY TO SPECIFIC CLIENT NEEDS
* the above criteria is drawn from the work of therapy researcher Barry L. Duncan and colleagues based on research from hundreds of studies on therapy effectiveness.
How good is therapy in general?
Despite bold claims about certain popular models of therapy the therapy effectiveness research suggests that there is no magic model of therapy that proves to be significantly better than the others in helping clients achieve desired outcomes.
The good news is that therapy as a whole is about four times more effective in reducing distress than toughing it out on one's own. In most cases therapy is more effective than medications and therapy is even better when looking at sustained and longer-term outcomes.
How effective are most therapists?
Although therapy overall is effective there is a huge range in the effectiveness of specific therapists. According to therapy outcome researcher Barry L. Duncan, the least effective therapists help approximately 20% of their clients meet expected treatment outcomes while the most effective therapists help up to 70%. Therapist characteristics play a much bigger role in therapy effectiveness than does the specific model of therapy that is employed, regardless of whether the model is considered "evidence-based".
What sets Couple Therapy Toronto apart?
All of our therapists are individual and relational therapists by training, with graduate degrees in Couple and Family Therapy, Psychology or Social Work. As both individual therapists and relational therapists we pay attention to the complex dynamics in clients lives that can be affecting their sense of wellbeing. Individual struggles can lead to problems in important relationships and struggles in important relationships can lead to individual problems. Our background allows us to take a more wholistic perspective.
Our commitment to effective therapy
We strongly adhere to the principles that make therapy effective through collaborative goal setting and session-by-session monitoring of client progress and in-session experience.
We maintain a strong commitment to ongoing professional development to ensure that we stay on top of the latest developments in our field and that we are offering our clients the best that we are able to offer.
Learn more about our therapists. Read articles about therapy, relationships, parenting, sex and mental health.
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Whether seeking support for yourself or for your important relationships - we are here to help.