The Possibilities of Modern Client-Centered and Experiential Psychotherapy

Abstract

In Ukraine, important processes are underway to identify those areas of psychotherapy that deserve official recognition by law. The official recognition of psychotherapeutic methods and techniques is associated with the fact that they are recognized as clinically and statistically effective. Such psychotherapy is reimbursed by insurance and is actively promoted in training courses, often "at the expense of other methods of psychotherapy." The psychotherapeutic procedure itself is becoming more and more standardized and impersonal, conforming to a protocol. The fate of client-centered and experiential psychotherapy (PCE-therapy) is not so easy in the world: evidence of its effectiveness is not reflected in the NICE (National Center for Collaboration in Mental Health) guidelines for depression and schizophrenia, which to some extent determine health policy. Therefore, there are widespread prejudices about the ineffectiveness of this type of therapy: it is not effective for severe mental illness, crisis states, specific phobias and traumas, behavioral problems, for those clients who need a directive approach, for assessing and diagnosing clients, etc. The article presents specific studies of the effectiveness of client-centered and experiential psychotherapy for specific symptoms (anxiety, depression, schizophrenia, borderline personality disorders, and some somatic disorders), as well as data from a meta-analysis of the effectiveness of client-centered and experiential therapy. PCE-therapy proved to be highly effective according to the criteria: "before-after" treatment; 2) "treatment-no treatment"; 3) "comparison with other types of psychotherapy" - the data obtained are generally statistically and clinically equivalent in terms of effectiveness to other methods of psychotherapy. PCE therapy proved to be the most effective in the following cases: interpersonal problems, self-harming behavior, coping with chronic somatic diseases, psychosis. It turned out that cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) has mixed benefits compared to PCE therapy. However, Elliott et al. note that, firstly, these "studies were mostly performed by CBT therapists" and, secondly, "low-quality versions of PCE therapy were used as comparison conditions". The most effective methods of PCE therapy were EFT and PCT. A list of approaches included in PCA-therapy is given, and their general characteristics are given.