6 types of psychotherapy with little or no proven efficacy

Not all psychological therapies have proven efficacy; in some cases evidence is lacking.

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 the psychological therapies with a more proven efficacy and those whose clinical usefulness is more questioned. We will now look at the latter: psychotherapies with little or no proven efficacy..

Psychological therapies with little scientific validity

It should be borne in mind that the fact that these therapies are not well supported scientifically is not necessarily the same as those whose clinical usefulness is more questionable. does not mean that they cannot be pleasant or motivating experiences for some people. for some people.

It is this fact that leads some patients to believe that feeling good in sessions is indicative of therapeutic progress 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 therefore its effects should be felt in the way in which disorders and psychological problems in general are expressed.

Having said that, let's look at some types of psychotherapy that have less empirical validity than others. have less empirical validity than they often appear to have.. These therapies are not listed in any particular order.

1. Regression therapy

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

Like Freudian psychoanalysis, regression therapy emphasizes the importance that past experiences have in the mental state of the present. However, it is characterized by the idea that those memories that have been stored in the memory and that condition what the person is in the here and now are, in reality, false, deformations of what really happened.

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

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

Psychoanalytic Therapy

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

The psychoanalytic therapist uses techniques such as free association, with which he tries to help the patient to express his cognitions (thoughts, ideas, images) and emotions without any kind of repression, which would lead the patient towards emotional catharsis. Today, this form of psychotherapy is less and less used in Europe, but in some countries, such as Argentina, it continues to be extremely popular.

Psychoanalysis is currently considered is not considered to have solid evidence of its efficacy, among other things for the same reasons.Among other things, for the same reasons that led the philosopher Karl Popper to criticize this approach: if the sessions do not produce the expected effect, one can always appeal to the delusions of the client's unconscious.

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

You can learn more about 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 view. It focuses on greater therapeutic brevity and puts the focus on the most salient conflicts of the patient's current condition. With the intention of leaving behind the classical psychoanalytic approach, it picks up aspects of the analytic approach of the ego or that of object relations of the Kleinian current.

Some psychologists such as Alfred Adler or Ackerman have participated in the development of this form of therapy, and in spite of the changes, the objective continues to be that of to help the patient gain insight into his or her hidden conflicts. conflicts.

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

• Having 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 conflicting aspects, but also in those that are not.
• Use a wider variety of techniques: interpretative, supportive, educational...

As with therapy based on traditional psychoanalysis, this approach does not have empirical evidence either. approach does not have sufficient empirical evidence to indicate its clinical usefulness. that indicates its clinical usefulness.

4. Humanistic Therapy

Humanistic therapy emerged in the mid-20th century and is influenced by phenomenology and existentialism. Its main exponents 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 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 the person-centered approach. the person-centered approachmore focused on psychotherapy. In humanistic therapy, the therapist takes an active role and tries to facilitate the patient (called client) to become aware of the real experience and restructuring of his or her self, through the establishment of a strong therapeutic alliance.

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

5. Gestalt Therapy

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

Gestalt therapy is a type of holistic therapy that understands the mind as a self-regulating unit. Gestalt therapists use experiential and experiential techniques to try to enhance the patient's self-awareness, freedom and self-direction. However, has nothing to do with the psychology of Gestaltwhich arose before Perls' proposals 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" is. about what is "the mind" of a happy person than on a scientifically formulated model of how mental processes and behavior work. Its proposals are based on intuitive ideas about what it means to "live in the present" and gain awareness of what is happening, so it escapes any attempt to test its efficacy relatively objectively.

6. Transactional Analysis

Transactional analysis is a type of humanistic psychotherapy that, although it originated in the 1950s and 1960s, 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 presents itself as a very versatile tool, and can be can be proposed in a multitude of contexts..

Transactional analysis attempts 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 concepts or is directly uses extremely abstract or outright esoteric concepts.It is therefore not surprising that its scientific validity and efficacy has proven to be very poor or practically non-existent.