An investigation of the effectiveness of ecological brief psychotherapy

Ecological brief psychotherapy has been practised at the Psychiatric Outpat ient Clinic at the University Hospital Zurich since 1990. The aim is to use the development-oriented challenges posed by important others in the thera peutic process. The effective ness of this form of therapy is investigated by reviewing the outcome of 28 completed treatment cases. While results at completion of therapy come up to the expectations, the long-term results we re surprisingly positive. 96,4% of those surveyed reported they felt consid erably better at final assessment 1 to 6 years after the therapy than they did at the beginning. Positive changes continued after the completion of th erapy. We presume that our coevolutive focus brought resolution of blocked developmental steps in relationships that further stimulated changes that c ontinued after the conclusion of therapy, even without further therapeutic support. Furthermore, the treatment effects provided by ecological brief ps ychotherapy apply to personality disorders as well.