Psychotherapy: Can the practitioner learn from the researcher?

Psychotherapy research has often been criticized by practitioners who believe that it has little to offer that can be used in professional practice. However, there is increasing evidence to show that contemporary research in psychotherapy is becoming increasingly relevant for practice. In this article, drawing on extensive research experience, I cite examples illustrating this thesis. My collaborators and I have called particular attention to the damaging consequences of communications that are experienced by patients as pejorative, and we believe that the development of therapist's skills in dealing with patients' negative transference should receive particular attention in training programs.