Outcome Research on Psychotherapy Integration

Abstract

Integrative psychotherapies have received increased empirical attention in recent decades, and a number of these treatments have been examined and tested in treatment outcome studies. In this chapter, the authors review and summarize the current state of outcome research on integrative therapies. Such treatments are placed into broad categories based on their foundational pathway to integration, including assimilative, theoretical, and technical eclecticism, as well as whether or not they have been designed to target a specific diagnosis or problem. Many integrative therapies have garnered substantial research support (four or more randomized controlled trials). Empirical support for some treatments continues to accumulate, while other treatments that were previously identified as promising have received limited attention in the past decade. Broad conclusions regarding the state of integrative therapy outcome research are offered, along with future directions.