Reasons and proposals for a general psychotherapy

General Psychotherapy isn't a new type of therapy, but it could be a paradi gmatic model for all empirically-oriented psychotherapists. The contents of this model are defined. Arguments and reasons are put forward as to why th e practice of psychotherapy should be guided by empirically based procedure rules instead of by therapy methods. The procedure rules should be joined together by a theoretical conception of psychological functioning, from whi ch their relative significance and prescription conditions can be derived. A consistency-theory based model of psychological functioning is sketched, from which conclusions can be drawn a bout the emergence and maintenance of psychological disorders on the one hand and the prescription conditions of different therapeutic procedures on the other. The advantages of this mode l in view of a general psychotherapy are discussed.