Psychotherapy integration: An assimilative, psychodynamic approach.

Abstract

Psychotherapy integration is an approach to treatment that goes beyond any single theory or set of techniques. The history of the psychotherapy integration movement is described, along with several approaches to integration that have been developed. We #en desclibe our assimilative approach, based on a psychodynamic model but incorporating technlques from various active approaches to treatment. A case history is provided illustrating the model that we describe.

How psychotherapy integration can complement the scientist‐practitioner model

“…This is accomplished either (a) by trying to integrate limited theories of therapy into more effective integrative systems, often including their epistemological and philosophical integration (theoretical integration models, e.g., Wachtel, 1997; and assimilative integration models, e.g., Stricker & Gold, 1996), or (b) by trying to develop data-based empirical theories of change (Beutler, 1995). Theoretical guidance and coherence is important in S-P clinical activity, as well as rational and theoretical ways of knowing.…”

What is a scientist‐practitioner anyway?

“…There is some compelling veridicality about this finding, as the experience of many psychotherapists in the community is that treatment is not as easily and quickly done as is often reported. I also should note that the psychotherapy being performed is not pure psychodynamic psychotherapy, but very much resembles assimilatively integrated psychodynamic psychotherapy (Gold & Stricker, 2001;Stricker & Gold, 1996). This again converges on the importance of psychotherapy integration (Lampropoulos, Spengler, et al, 2002) for effective treatment, even (or especially) in a scientific mode.…”

Journal of Counselor Preparation and Supervision Volume 2, Number 1

“…Theoretical integration involves the integration -at a deep theoretical level --of two or more of the pure-form approaches, along with their associated interventions (Ryle, 1990;Wachtel, 1977). Assimilative integration involves counselors who -while being firmly grounded in a single, preferred counseling approach -include and incorporate (assimilate) interventions or perspectives from other counseling approaches into one"s preferred mode of theory and practice (Messer, 2003;Safran, 1998;Stricker and Gold, 1996). Finally, metatheoretical integration involves creating theoretical frameworks of a more comprehensive order -at a higher level of abstraction -than traditional single theories; because of this higher level of abstraction, metatheories operate from a conceptual space beyond the single-school theories such that "the current relativism [of eclecticism] can be transcended by discovering or constructing concepts that cut across the traditional boundaries of the psychotherapies" (Prochaska and Norcross, 2003, p. 515;Prochaska and DiClemente, 1984;Mahoney, 1991;and Wilber, 2000).…”

“…Six participants wrote Wachtel; 52 participants entered names other than the above exemplars; and 55 participants wrote "I don"t know," "N/A," "no one person," or "no one." Exemplars of assimilative integration include Messer (2003), Safran (1998), andStricker andGold (1996). Seven participants wrote Messer; two wrote Gold; 16 participants entered names other than the above exemplars; and 88 participants wrote "I don"t know," "N/A," "no one person," or "no one."…”