Concreteness and Specificity in Clinical Psychology

This book highlights the necessity of consistency in evaluating clients problems and in providing interventions based on scientifically valid information. This is the basis for what the author describes as responsible professional practice, which involves the abandonment of face to face talk therapy in favor of specific protocols targeting individual client concerns. The book describes an objective and systematic manner of practice that sets baselines by which to judge future improvement through post-intervention follow-ups. The goal is to have replicable standard operating procedures that are not idiosyncratic, but rather are validated through the results of distance writing procedures that can be objectively evaluated. These procedures must be replicable within one professional, among professionals, and among different clinical settings. Such standard procedures are imperative to the advancement of all mental health practices, including psychotherapy, sickness prevention, health promotion, crisis intervention, and rehabilitation. There has been an increasing call within the field of psychology for a more scientific approach to clinical work, and this book presents the guidelines for raising the standards in order to provide sound and effective practice.