Bruce Wampold

Bruce Wampold

Bruce Wampold, Ph.D., Director of the Research Institute at Modum Bad Psychiatric Center in Vikersund, Norway and Emeritus Professor at the University of Wisconsin—Madison, is well known for his book The Great Psychotherapy Debate: The Evidence for What Makes Psychotherapy Work. Professor Wampold will discuss what really makes psychotherapy work—and importantly how psychotherapy outcomes can be improved. Hint: Improvement will not be achieved through finding a better brand of psychotherapy.

How to be a Better Therapist
Psychotherapy is presented as a social healing practice. Although it is known that psychotherapy is effective, how it works is not well understood. Evidence is presented that psychotherapy works through multiple pathways and that it is the therapist who delivers a particular treatment that is critical to success. More effective therapists have greater facilitative interpersonal skills that are displayed in challenging interpersonal situations. These skills can be developed through deliberate practice, resulting in improved outcomes.