A Qualitative Exploration of CBT and Psychodynamic Therapists’ Views, Experiences and Perceptions of Integrating Different Therapeutic Modalities into their Private Practice with Adult Clients: Study Protocol

Background: CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) and psychodynamic psychotherapy are two most frequently used therapeutic modalities in private and public clinical practice. CBT is currently considered to be a ‘gold standard’ therapy, culminating in a wide scale training and dissemination of research. Psychodynamic psychotherapy has also amassed increasing systematic research, yielding significant longitudinal outcomes. However, the co-existence of the two therapeutic modalities is not without controversies. Although few authors in psychotherapy suggested that CBT and psychodynamic psychotherapy should be viewed as complementary rather than dichotomous paradigms, little is known about how concepts and techniques from these two different approaches are integrated (if at all) by therapists in private practice. Objective: This study protocol paper presents a pilot study, which aims to qualitatively explore how CBT therapists experience and make sense of psychodynamic concepts and vice versa in private practice. Our study is particularly interested in how therapists conceptualise psychodynamic and CBT concepts, and whether they might integrate techniques from different therapeutic modalities in their practice formally or informally. We anticipate that the findings will be relevant for further theoretical and clinical recommendations on how CBT and psychodynamic psychotherapies can be integrated in a pragmatic manner to address individual patient treatment needs. Study Design: A qualitative survey method will be used to explore how qualified BABCP accredited CBT therapists and BCP accredited psychodynamic practitioners understand, perceive and, potentially, integrate, psychodynamic and CBT principles in private practice. The data collected will be analysed using thematic analysis in order to construct themes and generate implications for therapeutic integration and practice. Ethical considerations and dissemination plans are discussed, with awareness of characteristics of our target sample.

Attribution 4.0 International