Therapist Techniques/Behaviors

While many theories of psychotherapy and counseling develop specific techniques to fit their assumptions and concepts, many techniques cut across theories. Furthermore, many mental health practitioners make use of different theoretical frameworks and [Page 912]interventions at different times, and these practitioners sometimes combine techniques and interventions from a variety of sources.

Positive therapeutic outcomes depend upon components (often termed common factors) that are found in many theoretical orientations. Hence, no one form of therapy is clearly superior to all the others. Successful therapy requires the integration of a positive therapeutic relationship with a set of common factors or techniques. These common factors have been classified in a number of ways, but there is consensus regarding the critical importance of two factors, the presence of a facilitative therapeutic relationship and of positive expectations for success on the part of clients.

Nevertheless, the selection of specific techniques is still important to the individual therapist when designing and implementing a treatment plan to ameliorate problems involving the client's thoughts (cognitions), feelings (affect), or actions (behavior). Most therapists are trained in a wide variety of theoretical orientations and techniques and they have many options for interventions. Psychologists consider both the usefulness of the techniques at their disposal for addressing the client's concerns and their appropriateness in terms of the client's cultural background (e.g., race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, and ability status). Ethical and legal requirements mandate that the psychologist maintain a current knowledge of the empirical literature pertaining to the overall efficacy of therapeutic techniques and the appropriateness of interventions for use with clients from specific cultural backgrounds.

This entry describes the most widely used therapeutic techniques. In this review these techniques have been classified as supportive or relationship-building techniques and confrontational techniques, including cognitive techniques, behavioral techniques, and experiential techniques. Although some techniques fit in more than one category, each technique has been assigned to its dominant category.