6 types of psychotherapy with little or no proven efficacy

The world of psychotherapies and therapeutic approaches to psychological problems contains a wide variety of proposals. Some of them have proven to be very effective, but others exist more as a tradition or as a way of expressing a philosophy of life than as solutions that will offer guaranteed results.

That is why it is good to know both psychological therapies with more proven efficacy as those whose clinical utility is most questioned. Next we will see the second ones: psychotherapies with little or no proven efficacy.

Psychological therapies with little scientific validity

It must be taken into account that the fact that these therapies are not well supported scientifically does not mean that they cannot be pleasant or motivating experiences for some people.

This fact is what leads some patients to believe that feeling good in the sessions is indicative of the therapeutic advances being made, but this is not the case. Psychotherapy has an objective defined by the field of intervention to which it belongs: clinical and health psychology, and by Consequently, its effects should be noted in the way in which psychological disorders and problems are expressed in general.

With that said, let's look at some types of psychotherapy that have less empirical validity than they often appear. These therapies do not appear ordered in a certain way.

1. regression therapy

Regression therapy was born in the 19th century. with the theories of the French neurologist Pierre Janet, a figure who had a lot of influence on Sigmund Freud. That is why it falls within the forms of therapy linked to psychoanalysis and to the psychodynamic current in general.

Like Freudian psychoanalysis, regression therapy places great emphasis on the importance that past experiences have on the present state of mind. However, this is characterized by starting from the idea that those memories that have been stored in memory and that condition what the person is in the here and now are, in reality, false, distortions of what happened TRUE.

The phenomenon of the spontaneous modification of memories is something that both neurosciences and cognitive sciences have been verifying for a long time, and yet, from the theory on which regression therapy is based, it is assumed that this distortion of memories is due to the conflicts of the unconscious.

Currently, there is no comprehensive research or meta-analysis demonstrating the efficacy of regression therapy.

2. Psychoanalytic Therapy

This type of therapy has its origin in the initial ideas of Sigmund Freud, and is based on the analysis of unconscious conflicts that originate in childhood according to the ideas of this neurologist. Psychoanalytic therapy focuses on the search for understanding of the instinctive impulses that according to freudian theory they are repressed by consciousness and are stored in the subconscious, affecting the patient.

The psychoanalytic therapist uses techniques such as free association, which is intended to help the patient express his or her feelings. cognitions (thoughts, ideas, images) and emotions without any type of repression, which would lead the patient towards catharsis emotional of her Currently, this form of psychotherapy is used less and less in Europe, but in some countries, such as Argentina, it is still enormously popular.

Currently it is considered that psychoanalysis there is no solid evidence about its effectiveness, among other things for the same reasons that reached the philosopher Karl Popper to criticize this approach: if the sessions do not produce the expected effect, one can always appeal to the tricks of the client's unconscious.

However, the social impact that psychoanalysis has had has been such that it has been claimed outside the field of health as a tool to interpret stories, artistic forms of expression and social phenomena in general. For example, it has had a great impact on radical feminism.

You can delve into this therapeutic theory in our article: “Sigmund Freud: life and work of the famous psychoanalyst”

3. Psychodynamic Therapy

Psychodynamic therapy derives from psychoanalysis, but leaves behind the classical vision. He focuses on a greater therapeutic brevity and puts the focus of attention on the most outstanding conflicts of the current condition of the patient. With the intention of leaving behind the classical psychoanalytic approach, he collects aspects of the analytical approach of the self or that of the object relations of the Kleinian current.

Some psychologists like Alfred Adler o Ackerman have been involved in the development of this form of therapy, and despite the changes, the goal remains to help the patient gain insight into their conflicts hidden.

There are a number of differences between psychodynamic and psychoanalytic therapy. Psychodynamic therapy is characterized by:

• Have shorter sessions: one or two weekly sessions. In psychoanalytic therapy there are three or four.
• An active and direct role of the therapist.
• The therapist gives advice and reinforcement not only in the conflictive aspects, but also in those that are not.
• Use a greater variety of techniques: interpretive, supportive, educational…

As with traditional psychoanalysis-based therapy, this approach There is also not enough empirical evidence indicating its clinical utility.

4. Humanist Therapy

Humanistic therapy arose in the middle of the 20th century and is influenced by the phenomenology and existentialism. The main exponents of it are Abraham Maslow and Carl Rogers, and it adopts a holistic approach to human existence and pays special attention to phenomena such as creativity, free will and the human potential. It is presented as a tool that encourages self-exploration and the visualization of oneself as a whole person.

While Abraham Maslow emphasized a hierarchy of needs and motivations, it was Carl Rogers who created person centered approach, more focused on psychotherapy. In humanistic therapy, the therapist takes an active role and tries to make it easier for the patient (called client) to make awareness of the real experience and restructuring of his self, through the establishment of a solid alliance therapy.

humanistic therapy has been used to treat a wide range of mental health problems, including depression, anxiety, relationship problems, personality disorders, and various addictions. However, there is no firm evidence about its effectiveness. However the wishful thinking and the application of "common sense" to therapy lead many people to believe that being guided by vital principles positive and that we can intuitively relate to the idea of ​​happiness is equivalent to following a truly effective therapy.

• You may be interested in: "Maslow's pyramid: the hierarchy of human needs"

5. Gestalt therapy

Gestalt therapy develops under the influence of humanistic philosophy, but unlike the therapy of Carl Rogers, his focus is on the thoughts and feelings of the here and now, on the self awareness. The creators of this therapeutic model are Fritz Perls and Laura Perls.

Gestalt therapy is a type of holistic therapy that understands that the mind is a self-regulating unit. Gestalt therapists use experiential and experiential techniques to try to improve the patient's self-awareness, freedom, and self-direction. However, It has nothing to do with Gestalt psychology., which arose before the proposals of the Perls and focused on the scientific study of perception and cognition.

Unfortunately, this approach is based more on ethical principles and abstract ideas about what the "mind" of a happy person is than about a scientifically formulated model of how mental processes and behavior work. Her proposals are based on intuitive ideas about what it means to "live in the present" and gain awareness about what happens, so it escapes any attempt to check its effectiveness in a relatively objective.

• Related article: “Gestalt Therapy: what is it and what principles is it based on?”

6. Transactional Analysis

Transactional analysis is a type of humanistic psychotherapy that, despite originating between the 50s and 60s, is still applied today. It was baptized as a model of social psychiatry, in which the unit of social relationship is the transaction. It is a form of therapy that is presented as a very versatile tool, and can be proposed in many contexts.

Transactional analysis tries to work directly in the here and now, while proposing initiatives to try to help patients develop day-to-day tools to find creative and constructive solutions to their problems. In theory, the ultimate goal is to ensure that patients regain absolute autonomy over their lives, thanks to the development of spontaneity, awareness and intimacy.

However, part of the theory on which this therapy is based uses extremely abstract or directly esoteric conceptsTherefore, it is not surprising that its scientific validity and efficacy have been shown to be very poor or practically non-existent.