Closing the Gap

As therapy researchers and practitioners, we are all painfully aware of the unfortunate gap that exists between research and practice. Researchers blame the clinician for not reading the literature, and therapists accuse the researcher for not studying questions that would be of most help to them. However, more than ever before, the need to close this gap has become particularly pressing—especially in light of the growing emphasis on the development of practice guidelines, quality assurance, pay for performance, and other third party demands for accountability. In light of this, the Society of Clinical Psychology is making a concerted effort to work toward building a two-way bridge between research and practice.

One way the Society is attempting to make this happen is by providing practicing clinicians with the opportunity to provide feedback on their use of empirically supported treatments in practice. This is not only an opportunity for clinicians to share their experiences with other therapists, but also can offer information that can encourage researchers to investigate ways of overcoming these limitations. This initiative is being spearheaded by a committee comprised of experienced, motivated and enthusiastic researchers and practitioners who similarly have had an ongoing dedication to closing the gap between practice and research. It includes Louis G. Castonguay (President of the Society for Psychotherapy Research); Marvin R. Goldfried (Past-President of the Society for Psychotherapy Research and President of Division 12); Jeffrey J. Magnavita (President of Division 29–Psychotherapy); Michelle G. Newman (psychotherapy researcher with expertise in anxiety disorders); Linda Sobell (Past-President of AABT and Division 12); and Abraham W. Wolf (Past-President of Division 29)