title: The psychotherapist's fear of empirical research.
abstract: The reasons for the reluctance of psychotherapists against empirical research are the following: (1) psychotherapy is a 'hermeneutic' process which cannot be measured (basic argument); (2) empirical research interferes in the process (technical argument); (3) it contradicts the specific private working contract of psychotherapy (ethical argument); (4) in comparative psychotherapy research we compare not systems, but individual therapists (personal argument), and (5) in many institutions, care has a higher priority than documentation (pragmatic argument). These arguments are mainly rationalizations. Empirical research is necessary for the survival of psychotherapy as a respected discipline in medicine.
mesh_terms: D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D006801:Humans; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care; D011575:Psychoanalytic Therapy; D011613:Psychotherapy; D012106:Research