The Evidence for Therapy – The New York Times

Millions of Americans turn to speech therapy. But is it possible? A fascinating question is difficult to answer.

Talk therapy produces great benefits for some people, but not for everyone, so it may not work for you, my friend Susan Dominus wrote for the therapy issue of The New York Times Magazine, published this week.

Researchers were able to reach this conclusion only relatively recently. Since the days of Sigmund Freud, the field of psychotherapy has been resistant, even hostile, to evaluating these methods through empirical studies. “When I graduated from psychoanalytic training, the supervising analyst said to me, ‘Your analysis will cure you, you should do research,'” Andrew Gerber, president of a psychiatric treatment center in Connecticut, told The Times.

These barriers have been reduced over the past few decades, leading to hundreds of clinical trials. The results have been mixed. Some studies have found that therapy has a higher chance than not. Other research has shown more limited results, suggesting that therapy helps some patients but not many or most.

Why? It likely comes down to individual preference. The therapist or type of therapy that works for one person may not be the right fit for another person’s personality or problems. Thus, research that examines whether any one type of therapy can produce limited results, no matter how effective that therapy is for a particular individual.

And for some, talk therapy may not be a good fit for other types of help, such as medication.

Some experts draw disappointing conclusions. “Maybe we’ve reached the limit of what we can do by talking to people,” said David Tolin, director of another treatment center in Connecticut. “Maybe it’s just going to be good.” Others are now trying to use evidence to improve speech therapy and find ways to connect patients to the type of therapy that works best for them.

Speaking to researcher Timothy Anderson, Susan expressed her frustration at the bleak evidence:

I may – as a long-time consumer of therapy in search of reassurance – reach my limit with disputes between various doctors and researchers, caveats and debates about methodology. “The research seems very… baggy,” I said, not bothering to hide my frustration. “It’s not very satisfying.” I could hear a smile behind the phone. “Well, thank you,” Anderson said. “That’s what makes this research interesting. There’s no simple answer, right?”

Read Susan’s cover story here for more details on the evidence for different types of therapy and how therapists are trying to improve.

The rest of the magazine

INFORMATION

G7 Peak

According to the Book: Pulitzer Prize winner Hernan Diaz started writing by reading.

Our editors’ picks: “The Water Treaty,” which follows generations of families in southwest India, and eight other books.

Best selling times: “A Day With No Words,” written by Tiffany Hammond and illustrated by Kate Cosgrove, tops the list of children’s picture books.

NEXT WEEK

What To Watch For

• Greece holds elections today.

• Two Republicans are expected to enter the presidential race this week: DeSantis and Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina.

• The man photographed placing his shoes on a table in Nancy Pelosi’s office during the Jan. 6 attack will be sentenced Wednesday.

• A House subcommittee will hold hearings on bank failure and regulation on Wednesday.

• Biden will deliver the commencement address at his alma mater, the University of Delaware, on Saturday.

What’s Cooking This Week