What is the importance of research? - Chapter 1

• Research refers to the systematic analysis process that leads to the development of new knowledge. Empirical means that something is based on experiences or observations (as in experiments) as opposed to theoretical assumptions. Qualitative research is research based on language, in which experiences, perceptions, observations, etc. are not reduced to a numerical form. Quantitative research is research based on numbers, usually using statistical analyzes.
• Results from studies can be helpful because:
  1. they can give counselors and psychotherapists (as well as clients) some very good ideas about where to start from in the absence of other information;
  2. they can tell us more about the probability of certain things happening;
  3. they can help therapists understand the therapy from the client's perspective
  4. they can be a means of communication about the work being carried out.

How do we know whether therapy works or not? - Chapter 2

• Thousands of studies have been conducted in the last half-century into whether therapy is successful. The results of these studies provide an unambiguous answer: yes. Among other things, the well-being of participants was compared before, and after therapy. However, pre- and post-test scores alone are not sufficient to conclude that psychotherapy is responsible for the observed changes in well-being. It could also be the case that the problems simply disappear over time, which is called spontaneous remission. Therefore, it is important to measure change using a control group. This means that the group of individuals who have undergone therapy (the experimental group) is compared to a comparable group of individuals who have not undergone therapy (the control group). In this way, the efficiency of therapy, the potential to produce the desired effect, can be determined with greater certainty.
• Studies using a control group show that therapy does indeed produce positive changes.
• The most commonly used effect measure is Cohens ' d'. A 'd ' of 0.2 is considered a small effect, of 0.5 as a medium effect and of 0.8 as a large effect. This standardized measure allows researchers to combine results from multiple studies, even when using different measurement instruments.
• Research shows that, on average, clients do not continue to improve after the therapy is finished (= 'sleeper effect' ), but do not deteriorate either.
•  

What do therapeutic approaches look like? - Chapter 3

• Certain therapies are better (more suitable) for certain types of psychological stress. It is therefore important to identify the specific problem of an individual. Then, it is best to look for the
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