Psychotherapy process and research: Missing persons and missing values

The task of ‘understanding’ in psychotherapy is compared with the mundance basis of interpersonal understanding. This implicates a discussion of three ‘principles’ which are put forward as distinguishing features of psychotherapy: ‘empathy’ (as a process, not a technique); ‘interpretation’ (particularly with regard to its relation to values); and the ‘faded person of the psychotherapist’ (related to empathy and interpretation, but particularly the power and remoteness of therapist). This allows a critical evaluation of psychotherapy research. Process research, particularly the innovative work of Robert Elliott, which seems best able to meet criticisms related to the sensitivity of research methodologies, is given particular attention. However, epistemological limitations are identified which are likely to unnecessarily distort the meaningfulness of the ‘events’ of psychotherapy.