A common denominator of scientific standards in psychotherapy

Abstract

The present paper refers to the "Declaration of the Swiss Charter for Psychotherapy Concerning the Concept of and Requirements for the Scientific Verification of Psychotherapeutic Methods". Universities, professional organizations, and psychiatric clinics have been asked to give their opinion concerning the declaration. We report the results of this consultation.

Three of the 290 mailings were returned to us as undeliverable. We received 33 answers; these have been categorized into four groups according to their contents. The first group includes 8 answers in which the declaration is approved of; further arguments are joined, concerning the definition of "scientific" amongst psychotherapists. A second group is constituted by 8 critically approving answers: the Charter's procedure is approved of and acknowledgement is given to the process of bringing to a common standard the differing methods of psychotherapy; however, the declaration is criticized for its lack of concrete reference to the issue of the proof of efficacy and effectiveness. In the 6 answers included in the third group the declaration is basically rejected, due in particular to its lack of empirical proofs.