Author Description

"It has been said that psychology has a short history and a long past. This notion also applies to the psychological subfield of psychotherapy. The long past is represented by the recognition that people have been providing emotional and psychological support and healing to each other since the development of human language and communication. For this current edition of the APA Handbook of Psychotherapy, the relevant history is partially tethered to the work of Archie Cochrane (Cochrane, 1979), who developed evidence-based practice in medicine, which eventually inspired the American Psychological Association (APA) position paper on evidence-based practice in psychology (APA, Presidential Task Force on Evidence-Based Practice, 2006). At the same time, this handbook also integrates theories, disorder-specific information, and practice-based evidence into the overarching framework of contemporary research-informed practice. Theory-driven practice is sometimes misunderstood as lacking empiricism. On the flip side, disorder-driven practice is sometimes misconstrued as being based on weak theoretical underpinnings. Neither is the case among those who acquire expertise. This volume I of the APA Handbook of Psychotherapy, written by leading experts, features both theory-driven practice and disorder-driven practice in complementary sections to dispel these myths and elucidate the best of each approach to psychotherapy practice. Volume I is organized into three parts. Part I focuses on theory-driven practice, whereas Part II covers disorder-driven practice. Part III concludes with transcendent chapters that focus on ethical considerations and future directions in practice."--Preface. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).