Psychotherapy Brown Bag: Part 1 - What do we know about psychodynamic therapy.MP4

In this clip, I discuss an influential but misleading article by Jonathan Shedler about psychodynamic therapy. The purpose of this video is to explain what the data actually tell us so that viewers can make a more informed decision about mental health care.

To read more about this, check out our PBB articles at:

http://www.psychotherapybrownbag.com/psychotherapy_brown_bag_a/2010/01/what-d...

http://www.psychotherapybrownbag.com/psychotherapy_brown_bag_a/2010/01/abando...

Category:

Education

Tags:

• Psychology
• mental health
• health
• therapy
• psychotherapy
• science

[dfathi]

You would think the American Psychologist would check his references. So far your argument is lacking some strength; checking part 2 of your video now...

[PsychBrownBag]

@dfathi - I suspect the shorthand used in the video format is the source of some of your skepticism, as the arguments we put forth here and on PBB itself are the basis of an in press commentary in The American Psychologist. No doubt there are valid critiques of our assessment though and I'd be happy to hear what aspects of our discussion of the data you find lacking. I'd encourage you to read our write-ups first though on the chance that I simply did not convey a point very well in this format

[ChrisLarsen64]

PsychBrownBag. The methodology used in EST's can be critiqued on many fronts. At least my pet Dodo bird says so. You see I feed him shredded Barlow papers from time to time despite the fact that he complains about the taste and low nutritional value! I will have the opportunity to do some training with Jonathan Shedler in near future. I will ask him about these critiques.

[PsychBrownBag]

@ChrisLarsen64 - Of course, your pet dodo sits on one of the least solid foundations in clinical research (and we've exposed those holes on PBB on a number of occasions), but it is certainly entitled to its opinion. Anyway, clearly you and I disagree on some fairly fundamental stuff here, but your last comment was hysterical. Best of luck with your training.

[ChrisLarsen64]

Your critique might have more validity if the DSM-IV categories used in EST research had established validity and reliability. Of course, the problem of cross-diagnosis application of therapies disappears if the diagnostic categories are themselves invalid. The model of research used in EST research presumes that there are discrete diagnoses that requires distinct and tailored.treatment approaches that can be tested with RCT's.

[PsychBrownBag]

@ChrisLarsen64 - Additionally, the myriad of secondary variables (e.g., quality of life), and specific observable outcome variables (e.g., number of panic attacks, NSSI episodes, suicide attempts) reduced at a significantly greater rate by empirically supported treatments points towards the fact that diagnoses are not the only issue driving the importance of ESTs. Anyway, I agree that categories need to be refined - that is the nature of science -but their imperfection does not justify anarchy.

[PsychBrownBag]

@ChrisLarsen64 - You're absolutely correct in noting the importance of establishing validity and reliability in diagnoses. That being said, although the DSM-IV-TR categories are by no means perfect, taxometic and other studies have provided exactly the evidence you mention for a number of diagnoses. Regardless, even if that were not the case, transdiagnostic application is far from the only problem with research on psychodynamic therapy.