← Mental models for therapists
What makes a treatment work is the process it sets in motion and the person delivering it, not the name on the box. Compare the mechanism and the practitioner, not the brand.
Their wordsThat’s why protocol differences and therapy brands often matter less than we think.
Their wordsAll therapies that work promote these skills – that’s why they work.
Their wordsThe diagnosis does not really tell you what to do.
Their wordsTherapy isn’t about following a manual, but about cultivating change.
Mental modelWhat counts as evidence
Their wordsOver the last 50 years, treatment methods have proliferated despite a lack of evidence of differential effectiveness between approaches. And even when a randomized controlled trial indicates a particular approach works, none show practitioners become more effective when they are trained in that modality.
Mental modelThe therapeutic alliance
Their wordsIt turns out that therapists who perform well on the FIS establish stronger relationships and are more effective (2). More to the point, the evidence shows FIS-related skills are trainable and that such training leads to better results (3, 4, 5).
Their wordsThat’s why protocol differences and therapy brands often matter less than we think.
Their wordsAll therapies that work promote these skills – that’s why they work.
Their wordsThe diagnosis does not really tell you what to do.
Their wordsTherapy isn’t about following a manual, but about cultivating change.
Mental modelWhat counts as evidence
Their wordsOver the last 50 years, treatment methods have proliferated despite a lack of evidence of differential effectiveness between approaches. And even when a randomized controlled trial indicates a particular approach works, none show practitioners become more effective when they are trained in that modality.
Mental modelThe therapeutic alliance
Their wordsIt turns out that therapists who perform well on the FIS establish stronger relationships and are more effective (2). More to the point, the evidence shows FIS-related skills are trainable and that such training leads to better results (3, 4, 5).