THE GAP BETWEEN RESEARCH AND PRACTICE: TOWARDS THE INTEGRATION OF PSYCHOTHERAPY

Abstract

The gap between research and clinical practice is one of the distinctive features of psychotherapy. This gap has historically been conceptualized as a problem of unidirectional dissemination. However, there are compelling reasons to consider that the disarticulation between science and practice also responds to the way in which scientific knowledge has been produced. This article describes some of the main factors that, to date, have hindered the development of an integrated science of psychotherapy and its implementation in naturalistic clinical settings. The paradigm of practice-oriented research (POR) is presented as an approach that provides specific proposals to bridge the gap between research and practice with the dual purpose of improving the quality of both research projects that are carried out and routine clinical practice.

Keywords

• practice-research gap
• practice research networks
• practice-oriented research
• clinical psychology
• psychotherapy
• implementation.