| Abstract: | Evidence-based practice in psychotherapy is gaining ground, but we are in great need of more detailed study concerning some basic aspects: the interrelationships between nonspecific and specific factors and their impact on outcome and the precise observation of what goes on between therapist and patient. A comparison of two forms of mother–infant psychotherapy reveals an important gap between what therapists believe and what they actually do. We describe several components of processes: the contribution of the infant, the treatment of affect, the construction of an interpretative focus, and the relationships between cognitive and emotional contributions. These observations indicate the need for a more realistic appraisal of what goes on in technique applications, as well as for a widening of the definition of technique. © 1998 Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health |
