"All psychotherapy books bring up the Dodo Bird Verdict – the observation, confirmed in study after study, that all psychotherapies are about equally good, and

"All psychotherapy books bring up the Dodo Bird Verdict – the observation, confirmed in study after study, that all psychotherapies are about equally good, and the only things that matters are “nonspecific factors” like how much patients like their therapist." One of fathers of this idea was the psychologist Carl Rogers. He didn't have much to say about personal historical causes. But back in the 1950's he developed the theory that success in psychotherapy depended on the therapist being empathic, affirming, and honest. He and his associates went on to do a number of studies that seemed to confirm the idea pretty well.