Can research influence clinical practice?

Abstract

After briefl y reviewing the unfavourable reception accorded empirical research by parts of the psychoanalytic community, as well as some of the benefi ts to clinical practice of analysts being involved in research activities, the author examines whether the fi ndings of process and outcome research in psychotherapy and psychoanalysis can help identify the most appropriate forms of intervention for producing therapeutic change, given the specifi c condition of the patient and the relationship that the individual establishes with the analyst. He argues that research fi ndings can infl uence clinical practice on various levels and in different areas, and goes on to examine a number of related issues: the specifi city of therapeutic interventions versus the relevance of common curative factors; the dyadic conception of technique and ways of understanding the therapeutic action of the treatment alliance; and the strategic or heuristic conception in psychoanalytic therapy. Finally, the author presents clinical material with the aim of illustrating how the knowledge acquired through research can be applied to psychoanalytic treatment.