Paving with Good Intentions: A Story of Psychotherapy Research

The purpose of this talk is to provide the audience with a review of psychotherapy research over the past century. Instead of just presenting a listing of studies, a case will be made that this information needs to be considered within larger contexts. The “need” for psychotherapy research emerged as a confluence of psychology in early adolescence, professional politics, and the health care industry. Discussion will include both the ways that this movement added legitimacy to the use of psychotherapy to treat a wide range of problems while at the same time narrowing access to mental health services.