The emblem of success in psychotherapy research and practice has long been innovation. Although such ingenuity is commendable, it has nonetheless perpetuated fragmentation across the field. At least four decades ago, it was suggested that achieving consensus on what constitutes psychotherapy’s theoretical, empirical, and practical ‘core’ might allow the discipline to evolve beyond its siloed state, as is reflective of mature science. Yet, division remains the rule versus exception, owing in large part to power struggles among disparate schools of therapy and quarrels over whether theory-specific or theory-common factors most account for therapeutic change. We outline here a vision for psychotherapy’s future that is defined by consensus rather than disintegration. Namely, we reiterate the need for the field to invest in clinical strategies that transcend ostensibly incompatible theoretical models. We also argue that psychotherapy research should build on the growing evidence for such clinical strategies in an effort to establish core, evidence-based principles of therapeutic change. We then discuss how establishing consensus will require reconciliation among the mounting evidence for flexible, principle-informed practice with the current realities of training, dissemination, and implementation paradigms. Finally, we articulate ways in which practicing clinicians will serve a vital role in carrying out, and amending as needed, actionable efforts toward psychotherapy consensus.

中文翻译：

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再次呼吁就心理治疗的未来达成共识

长期以来，创新一直是心理治疗研究和实践成功的标志。尽管这种独创性值得称赞，但它仍然导致了整个领域的分裂。至少四十年前，有人提出，就心理治疗的理论、经验和实践“核心”的构成达成共识，可能会使该学科的发展超越其孤立状态，这反映了成熟的科学。然而，分歧仍然是规则与例外，这在很大程度上是由于不同治疗学派之间的权力斗争，以及关于理论特定因素还是理论共同因素最能解释治疗变化的争论。我们在此概述了心理治疗的未来愿景，该愿景是通过共识而不是瓦解来定义的。也就是说，我们重申该领域需要投资于超越表面上不相容的理论模型的临床策略。我们还认为，心理治疗研究应该建立在此类临床策略的不断增长的证据之上，以努力建立治疗改变的核心、基于证据的原则。然后，我们讨论如何建立共识需要在越来越多的证据之间进行协调，以实现灵活的、基于原则的实践与当前培训、传播和实施范式的现实。最后，我们阐明了执业临床医生在执行和根据需要修改可行的努力以达成心理治疗共识方面发挥重要作用的方式。