Abstract
Integrative practice is a relatively new approach in psychotherapy, which has been in dire need of additional research. Studying the problems related to mental health from the perspective of multiple disciplines and theories allows detecting the hindrances to recovery that would not be noticed otherwise. Therefore, the incorporation of the integrative practice into the modern healthcare setting should be supplemented with the inclusion of integrative research.
The research in question will cover a variety of subjects, the problem of interdisciplinary collaboration between healthcare experts and the promotion of cross-cultural practices being the top priorities. Thus, in order to make psychotherapy more effective and improve outcomes in mental health patients, integrative psychotherapy should incorporate extensive research and profound practice based on cross-disciplinary collaboration and the promotion of cultural competence.
Psychotherapy Integration: Research Issues
The notion of psychotherapy integration is comparatively new to the study of mental health, yet it has already warranted a strong reputation for the opportunities provided for addressing health concerns. Although five approaches toward psychotherapy integration are currently used, they are limited to a significant degree in the opportunities for research that they provide (Schottenbauer, Glass, & Arnkoff, 2007). Therefore, studying the current research issues linked to psychotherapy integration will help to advance the use thereof and the management of mental health issues (Jorgensen, 2004). Due to the lack of emphasis on the subject matter, the creation of models for incorporating research into the notion of psychotherapy integration should be seen as an essential research issue.
The scarce number of approaches toward psychotherapy integration indicates the need to develop new tools for exploring the subject matter extensively. Overall, research as an important constituent of the field of psychotherapy integration is currently represented rather poorly, as recent sources prove (Laska, Gurman, & Wampold, 2014). Among the essential issues that the future analysis should be centered on, models for psychotherapy integration should be studied and developed (Lundh, 2014). While the integrative framework suggested by Ingram has proven to lead to positive outcomes in psychotherapy, more advanced models are needed to embrace the issues faced by varied audiences and cater to these needs in the most effective manner possible.
Due to the differences in responses that the therapies based on psychotherapy integration may produce in patients, there is a strong need in researching the notion of cultural competence as an essential aspect of researching psychotherapy integration. The ability to cater to the culture-specific requirements of patients and accommodate their unique needs is critical to the successful use of a therapy (Brown, 2009). Moreover, with the incorporation of culture-specific tools, models for promoting cultural competence in nurses and advancing the treatment process can be built.
The problem of the lack of interdisciplinary collaboration in regard to the implementation of integrative psychotherapy also needs to be addressed. Due to the lack of research mentioned above, opportunities for collaboration on several levels to prompt the development of psychotherapy integration techniques are not as numerous as they need to be (Feixas & Botella, 2004). It is believed that the focus on collaboration across different disciplines and areas of mental health will prompt positive dynamics in the management of patients’ needs with the help of psychotherapy integration (McWilliams, 2017).
For this purpose, a study embracing the idea of cross-disciplinary collaboration should be explored as the tool for improving the effects of psychotherapy integration remains an important point of discussions about psychotherapy integration (Oddli, Nissen-Lie, & Halvorsen, 2016). The collaboration between researchers and clinicians will inform the former about the areas that require greater attention, whereas the latter will receive important data about the methods of enhancing the efficacy of their practice (Constantino, Coyne, & Penedo, 2017). As a result, the quality of therapy and the number of positive outcomes in patients will rise systematically.
Eclecticism as the idea of integrating ideas from different disciplines into the selected one is also likely to prompt new ideas for managing health concerns. Specifically, according to Garfield (1994), “A large number of psychotherapists do not limit themselves to strict adherence to only one psychotherapeutic approach” (p. 124). Thus, the incorporation of multidisciplinary principles into the process of researching psychotherapeutic issues and models for addressing concerns in mental health will spur a range of insightful ideas. The limitations that the current framework for implementing psychotherapy integration will be overcome once the proposed technique is utilized, which will have a profound effect on patients.
Overall, there are strong indications that the study of psychotherapy integration will allow the development of new methods of introducing new perspectives into the process of psychotherapy. As a result, the effects of developed interventions will be amplified, with the number of recoveries and positive outcomes, in general, rising steadily. The focus on culture-specific strategies in researching different tools for implementing psychotherapy integration deserves to be seen as one of the key priorities in psychotherapy currently. Moreover, research in the field of psychotherapy integration should focus on the analysis of the effects that diversity has on the implementation of therapy. The results of the analysis will inform about the strategies for catering to the needs of diverse and vulnerable groups.
References
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