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Toward a Science of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy: Theory and Practice

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Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy as a Science
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Abstract

The aim of this chapter is to propose how clinical psychology and especially psychotherapy can be practiced as a scientific profession rather than as an art. Clinical psychology and psychotherapy practices may reach a scientific level, provided there are changes in these mental health disciplines from an artistic/charlatan to a professional/scientific paradigm. The former paradigm has dominantly governed, uncritically condoned, predominantly controlled, and even encouraged and valued those artistic practices in the last century. The latter professional/scientific paradigm, advocated in this chapter and in this entire volume, requires an objective evaluation of interventions based on replicable, cumulative standard operating procedures.

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L’Abate, L. (2013). Toward a Science of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy: Theory and Practice. In: Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy as a Science. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-4451-0_2

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