On Mon, 11 Apr 2005, Thomas Seay wrote:
> I agree with Tully with qualifications....Of course, I
> might be partly wrong since my opinion is just based
> upon my own experiences. I think "talk therapy" is
> just bullshit. It might or might not help, in the
> same way as talking to a friend might help. Look at
> all the various talk therapies and, if I am not
> incorrect, they all have much the same percentage of
> effectiveness...which is pretty low. Of course, I
> dont know how levels of effectiveness are quantified.
The results vary depending on the disorder and specific type of "talk" therapy; effect sizes range from small to large. It's not "just bullshit": it's been well documented in controlled experimental studies that talk therapy improves a variety of psychological symptoms. In fact, the effect sizes are often larger for these talk therapies than for popular drug therapies (e.g., treatment for moderate depression, phobia, anxiety). I understand how vivid anecdotes can lead a person to distrust professionals in a field (I'm sure we can all tell doozies about psychotherapists, doctors, lawyers, and college professors), but I think our judgments of the usefulness of a profession should be based on systematic data. (Again with the data! I never let up on that, do I? I'm well indoctrinated, I guess.)
Miles