COMMON FACTORS OF
PSYCHOTHERAPY
Is the Dodo Bird alive or extinct?
Come talk with me!
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Joel Thomas: jthoma11@illinois.edu
Office hours: 2-3pm Tu/Th, Espresso Royale Café
Travel, soccer, tennis, bass guitar
Master’s in Counseling from UW-Madison, CounselingPsychology Department
Interpersonal/Common Factors Training
 Research Interests:
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how and why psychotherapy works
 how psychotherapy compares with other cultural healing practices
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PhD student in Clinical/Community Psychology, UIUC
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Letting the path unfold!
Reflection Exercise
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Peter is a single, 35-year-old Native American man who resides in
an urban environment. Since graduating college with a degree in
computer science, Peter has worked as an entry-level programmer,
but he feels he is denied career opportunities because of racism and
discrimination. Peter's job performance begins to deteriorate, and he
experiences increasing feelings of depression. He begins to drink to
numb feelings of worthlessness and extreme loneliness.
Who would you recommend Peter see and why?
A.
Psychiatrist
B.
Traditional healer from the Native community
C.
Primary care doctor
D.
A good friend you know who has gone through a similar
experience
E.
A counselor with whom you are familiar and who you trust
Objectives for Today
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Explain findings of Consumer Reports Study (Seligman)
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Describe the Dodo Bird Effect
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Link the Dodo Bird Effect to the importance of common
factors in psychotherapy (Wampold)
Define and describe the 4 commonalities of healing
practices in different cultures
Seligman…
M. E. P. Seligman,
Consumer Reports Study (1995)
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Methodology
180,000 readers
received issue, 7000
filled out survey, 3000
saw mental health
professionals
 Educated, middle-class,
50% female, median
age = 46
 Outcome measures:
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Specific improvement
 Satisfaction
 Global Improvement
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Consumer Reports Study (Findings)
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Psychotherapy led to
improvement for 90%
Psychiatrists,
psychologists, social
workers equally
effective
Longer treatment led
to better outcomes
Limitations on
insurance led to worse
outcomes
Consumer Reports Study (Findings)
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People who felt worst before treatment reported
the most improvement
No difference between different types of therapies
No difference between psychotherapy alone and
psychotherapy with meds
Active shoppers and active clients did better
Conclusion: Psychotherapy Works!
Critique: non-random, self-report, no control groups,
cognitive dissonance
Dodo Bird effect
"Everybody has won,
and all must have
prizes."
Chapter 3 of Lewis Carroll's
Alice's Adventures in
Wonderland
Dodo bird effect (graphical form)
(Wampold, 2001)
(NO significant differences
among psychotherapies)
(significant differences
among psychotherapies)
If the Dodo lives: why does
psychotherapy work? (Wampold, 2001)
Common Factors of
Psychotherapy(Examples) (Tracey, 2003)
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Relationship Factors
Client forms an alliance with therapist
 Client receives warmth and positive regard
 Client is a partner in therapeutic interaction
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Learning Factors
Client is provided with information and education
 Client’s emotional and interpersonal learning is enhanced
 Client receives feedback in order to gain a more realistic
perspective
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Action Factors
Client is persuaded to change
 Client experiences tension reduction
 Client experiences therapeutic techniques and rituals
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Common Factors (Continued)
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Therapist factors that DON’T matter
Demographics unrelated to outcomes (but important to
clients)
 Therapist’s modality (theoretical orientation)
 Therapist’s specific degree (PhD vs PsyD vs MSW)
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Therapist factors that DO matter
Expertise in specific presenting problem
 Acknowledgement of limitations
 Commitment to self improvement and staying current
 Experience
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Client factors that DO matter
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Motivation, degree of distress, > IQ, willingness to see
problems as psychological, optimism about therapy
Commonalities of Healing Practices
Across Cultures (Frank & Frank, 1991)
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Healer: An individual who is culturally sanctioned as a
healer and possesses expertise
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Healing Setting: A context in which the healing art is
practiced
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Ex: office, home, religious location
Ritual: A set of procedures that is necessary for the
healing process
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Ex: psychologist, acupuncturist, shaman
Ex: talk, physical manipulation of the body, performance
Myth: A rationale for the treatment that is consistent
with the ritual
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Ex: psychodynamic, physiologic, spiritual explanation