The "Generic Model of Psychotherapy" After 25 Years: Evolution of a Research-Based Metatheory

The "Generic Model of Psychotherapy" was initially presented 25 years ago ( Orlinsky & Howard, 1984 ) and was conceived as a transtheoretical frame for integrating the varied empirical findings of hundreds of studies relating therapeutic process to outcome that had appeared during the previous 3 decades into a coherent body of knowledge ( Orlinsky & Howard, 1986 ). This article briefly reviews the conceptual model as an integrative metatheory for research and practice and traces its continued growth based on subsequent innovations in process-outcome research, reflections on the human contexts of psychotherapy, and current limitations in the field of psychotherapy research.