National Survey of Psychotherapy Providers’ Attitudes Toward Psychotherapy Research

Abstract

Several task forces and their subsequent empirical developments, concerned with a synthesis of leading avenues of psychotherapy research (including the principles of therapeutic change, the therapeutic relationship, empirically supported treatments, and evidence-based practice proper), have unfolded within the last few decades. These developments have been followed concurrently by a growing body of research into the importance of dissemination and implementation of new psychotherapy practices with empirical support. However, few studies have investigated the attitudes of psychotherapy providers toward this representative research base or from a national perspective across Canada. Thus, a national survey was distributed to registered Canadian psychologists and psychotherapists (N = 840) between June and December 2021. The survey explored demographic and professional practice characteristics, with a primary focus on respondents’ attitudes toward statements about psychotherapy practice as informed by prominent research findings. Results revealed many converging attitudes of respondents toward the importance of the therapeutic relationship to their practices, among other salient findings. Results also showed some differences in these attitudes by primary therapeutic approach. Among other findings, psychotherapy providers with a primary therapeutic approach of cognitive and/or behavioural therapy had significantly higher self-ratings on a questionnaire that gauged their attitudes toward (or how likely they would consider) adopting new evidence-based practices compared to providers of other primary therapeutic orientations. Recommendations for the advancement of research into psychotherapy, and implications of the survey’s findings for clinical practice, are provided.