A timeline of psychotherapy and counselling
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Moral treatment, hypnosis & early clinics · up to 1894
Philosophical consolation, asylum reform, moral treatment, hypnotism, suggestion, and early dynamic theories of dissociation before formal psychotherapy schools.
Psychoanalysis, talking cures & early schools · 1895 to 1939
Psychoanalysis, rational persuasion, psychological clinics, individual and analytical psychology, psychodrama, play technique, character analysis, and early cultural critiques.
Humanistic, behavioural & group turns · 1940 to 1969
Client-centred counselling, existential logotherapy, Gestalt therapy, group analysis, therapeutic communities, systematic desensitisation, attachment theory, and early cognitive therapy.
Cognitive, systemic, feminist & outcome research · 1970 to 1989
Manualised cognitive and interpersonal therapies, structural and Milan systemic family models, feminist and relational perspectives, meta-analysis, and the working alliance.
Third-wave, narrative, trauma & evidence movements · 1990 to 2009
Narrative and solution-focused therapies, motivational interviewing, trauma staging, DBT, ACT, MBCT, schema and mentalization models, multicultural competencies, and evidence-based practice.
Pluralism, digital care & global mental health · 2010 to present
Pluralistic and transdiagnostic frameworks, alliance rupture-repair research, internet-delivered and remote therapy, community task-sharing trials, and shared decision-making.
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Jonathan Shedler publishes 'The Efficacy of Psychodynamic Psychotherapy' in American Psychologist
Psychologist Jonathan Shedler published a widely cited synthesis of meta-analyses in American Psychologist in 2010 examining empirical evidence for psychodynamic psychotherapy. He argued that effect sizes for psychodynamic therapy are as large as those reported for other empirically supported therapies, and that patients often continue to improve after treatment ends.
Shedler (2010), The Efficacy of Psychodynamic Psychotherapy (American Psychologist)
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Why it matters
The article directly challenged the widespread academic and policy perception that psychodynamic therapy lacked empirical support, helping re-establish contemporary psychodynamic research within mainstream evidence-based debates.
In psychotherapy and counselling
Shedler distilled seven distinctive features of psychodynamic process: focus on affect and emotion expression, exploration of attempts to avoid distressing thoughts, identification of recurring themes, discussion of past experience, focus on interpersonal relations, focus on the therapy relationship, and exploration of wishes and fantasies.
Important context and scope
The paper prompted lively methodological commentary in subsequent issues of American Psychologist regarding the heterogeneity of included meta-analyses and direct comparisons with specific CBT protocols. Published in American Psychologist, Vol. 65, No. 2, in February-March 2010.
Date type
Clinical study or review
Sources
- Shedler (2010), The Efficacy of Psychodynamic Psychotherapy (American Psychologist)(primary or catalogue record)
- PubMed record: Shedler (2010)(scholarly or historical account)
Related
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David H. Barlow and colleagues publish the Unified Protocol for Transdiagnostic Treatment of Emotional Disorders
David H. Barlow and colleagues published the first Therapist Guide for the Unified Protocol for Transdiagnostic Treatment of Emotional Disorders (UP) with Oxford University Press. The authors proposed a cognitive-behavioural approach addressing processes shared across emotional disorders.
Oxford Academic: Unified Protocol Therapist Guide, first edition (online 2010; print copyright 2011)
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Why it matters
The protocol offered a way to address shared processes rather than using a separate manual for every presentation. In a 2017 equivalence trial, 223 adults with a principal diagnosis of panic disorder, generalised anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder or obsessive-compulsive disorder were assigned to the UP, a diagnosis-specific protocol or a waitlist. On the primary clinical severity measure, the two active treatments were statistically equivalent at treatment end and six months.
In psychotherapy and counselling
Clinicians guide clients through core modules focused on mindful emotion awareness, cognitive flexibility, identifying and preventing emotional and behavioural avoidance, tolerance of physical sensations, and interoceptive and situational emotion exposures.
Important context and scope
The 2017 trial was conducted at one outpatient centre and tested specific diagnoses and protocols. Its statistical equivalence finding concerns the prespecified measure and margins; it does not establish equal outcomes for every condition or individual. The first guide's online and print dates differ. The first Therapist Guide has a 2011 print copyright; Oxford Academic dates its online publication to December 2010. The second edition followed in 2017.
Date type
Publication year
Sources
- Oxford Academic: Unified Protocol Therapist Guide, first edition (online 2010; print copyright 2011)(primary or catalogue record)
- Oxford Academic: Unified Protocol Therapist Guide, second edition (2017)(primary or catalogue record)
- Barlow et al. (2017), equivalence trial in JAMA Psychiatry (PubMed abstract)(scholarly or historical account)
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Mick Cooper and John McLeod publish Pluralistic Counselling and Psychotherapy
Counselling psychologists Mick Cooper and John McLeod published Pluralistic Counselling and Psychotherapy with SAGE in 2011. Drawing on philosophical pluralism and Edward Bordin's working alliance model, they proposed that different clients need different things at different points in therapy, and that clients should be active partners in deciding how therapy is conducted.
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Why it matters
The pluralistic framework moved integrative counselling beyond fixed theoretical syntheses (where the therapist blends theories in advance) toward transparent, collaborative shared decision-making with the client.
In psychotherapy and counselling
Practitioners engage in explicit 'metatherapeutic communication' with clients to agree and regularly review shared goals, tasks, and therapeutic methods, drawing flexibly across humanistic, cognitive-behavioural, psychodynamic, and narrative practices.
Important context and scope
Cooper and McLeod first outlined the pluralistic framework in Counseling and Psychotherapy Research in 2007; the approach gained particular prominence in British and European counselling psychology training. Published by SAGE Publications in late 2010 with a 2011 imprint date, following their 2007 foundational paper.
Date type
Publication year
Sources
- Cooper & McLeod (2007), A pluralistic framework for counselling and psychotherapy (Counselling and Psychotherapy Research)(primary or catalogue record)
- SAGE Publications: Pluralistic Counselling and Psychotherapy(primary or catalogue record)
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Safran, Muran, and Eubanks-Carter publish meta-analytic synthesis on repairing alliance ruptures
In 2011, Jeremy D. Safran, J. Christopher Muran and Catherine Eubanks-Carter reviewed research on tensions in the therapeutic alliance and their repair. Their first meta-analysis examined the association between rupture-repair episodes and outcomes in three studies involving 148 clients.
Safran, Muran & Eubanks-Carter (2011), Repairing Alliance Ruptures (Psychotherapy)
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Why it matters
The authors proposed attending to difficulties in the therapeutic relationship as part of clinical work. Their review found an association between reported repair and outcomes in the studies examined.
In psychotherapy and counselling
The authors discuss withdrawal and confrontation as ways tensions may appear, and describe approaches to recognising and discussing difficulties in the therapeutic relationship.
Important context and scope
The association does not by itself prove that repair causes improvement. The initial analysis drew on three studies; a later 2018 meta-analysis included more studies, but does not establish that a particular repair strategy works for every person or therapy. Published in the APA Task Force special issue of Psychotherapy, Vol. 48, No. 1, in March 2011.
Date type
Clinical study or review
Sources
- Safran, Muran & Eubanks-Carter (2011), Repairing Alliance Ruptures (Psychotherapy)(primary or catalogue record)
- Eubanks, Muran & Safran (2018) updated meta-analysis in Psychotherapy(scholarly or historical account)
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Gerhard Andersson and colleagues synthesise evidence comparing guided internet-delivered CBT with face-to-face CBT
In 2014, Gerhard Andersson and colleagues reviewed 13 randomised studies comparing guided internet-delivered cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) with face-to-face CBT for psychiatric and physical conditions. The studies included 1,053 adults.
Andersson et al. (2014): Guided internet-based versus face-to-face CBT, full review
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Why it matters
The review brought together direct comparisons between the two formats. Across the included studies, the pooled difference in primary symptom outcomes immediately after treatment was close to zero; this average does not establish equivalence for every condition or person.
In psychotherapy and counselling
The studies compared internet-delivered CBT with therapist contact against individual or group face-to-face CBT. The review assessed symptoms of the condition targeted by each study.
Important context and scope
The 2014 authors noted that few studies addressed each condition and did not analyse long-term effects. A 2018 update included 20 studies with 1,418 participants and called for larger studies. A 2023 update of 31 randomised trials found similar pooled effects across adult conditions. These averages do not predict outcomes for every person or condition. Published in World Psychiatry in October 2014.
Date type
Clinical study or review
Sources
- Andersson et al. (2014): Guided internet-based versus face-to-face CBT, full review(primary or catalogue record)
- Carlbring et al. (2018): Updated comparison of internet-based and face-to-face CBT, abstract(scholarly or historical account)
- Hedman-Lagerlöf et al. (2023): Updated comparison of therapist-supported internet-based and face-to-face CBT, abstract(scholarly or historical account)
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Bessel van der Kolk publishes The Body Keeps the Score
Psychiatrist Bessel van der Kolk published The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma in 2014. The book discusses traumatic stress and presents a range of approaches, including neurofeedback, meditation, drama and yoga.
Penguin Random House: The Body Keeps the Score, publication and publisher description
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Why it matters
The book reached a wide readership and helped bring discussion of trauma and treatment approaches to a broader audience.
In psychotherapy and counselling
Van der Kolk discusses bodily experience alongside memory, emotion and relationships. The book presents clinical interpretations and treatment approaches; its descriptions alone do not establish the effectiveness of each intervention.
Important context and scope
In a 2025 commentary, psychiatrist Michael Scheeringa questioned some of the book’s neurobiological and treatment claims, including whether the cited evidence establishes causation or superiority of particular treatments. This is a published critical perspective, not a systematic review or a verdict on every claim in the book. First published by Viking Penguin in September 2014.
Date type
Publication year
Sources
- Penguin Random House: The Body Keeps the Score, publication and publisher description(primary or catalogue record)
- Scheeringa (2025): Evaluating evidence behind popular trauma narratives (BJPsych Bulletin commentary)(scholarly or historical account)
- Van der Kolk (1994): The Body Keeps the Score: Memory and the Evolving Psychobiology of Posttraumatic Stress(primary or catalogue record)
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Dixon Chibanda and colleagues publish the JAMA trial of Zimbabwe's Friendship Bench
In 2016, Dixon Chibanda and colleagues reported a cluster-randomised trial of the Friendship Bench in 24 primary care clinics in Harare, Zimbabwe. Trained lay health workers delivered problem-solving therapy; an additional peer-support programme was optional.
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Why it matters
At six months, participants in the intervention group had lower measured symptoms of common mental disorders and depression than those receiving enhanced usual care.
In psychotherapy and counselling
The intervention used locally developed Shona concepts alongside a structured problem-solving approach. Participants could also join a peer-support group.
Important context and scope
The trial included 573 adults who screened positive for common mental disorders; most participants were women. Results relate to this intervention and setting, and the reported follow-up lasted six months. Cluster randomised clinical trial published in JAMA in December 2016; the programme began in Mbare, Harare in 2006.
Date type
Clinical study or review
Sources
- Chibanda et al. (2016), Effect of a Primary Care-Based Psychological Intervention on Symptoms of Common Mental Disorders in Zimbabwe (JAMA)(primary or catalogue record)
- PubMed: Friendship Bench randomised clinical trial and abstract (2016)(primary or catalogue record)
- Friendship Bench Zimbabwe official organisation(institutional record)
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World Health Organization publishes Problem Management Plus (PM+) for scalable psychological support
In 2016 the World Health Organization published Problem Management Plus (PM+): Individual Psychological Help for Adults Impaired by Distress in Communities Exposed to Adversity. Designed as a brief five-session transdiagnostic intervention, PM+ was created to be delivered by trained and supervised non-specialist helpers in low-resource and humanitarian settings.
World Health Organization: Problem Management Plus (PM+) manual
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Why it matters
PM+ operationalised the global mental health shift toward task-sharing, demonstrating in randomised trials in Pakistan and Kenya that brief, culturally adaptable psychological interventions could substantially reduce distress where few specialist psychiatrists or psychotherapists exist.
In psychotherapy and counselling
The protocol integrates four practical strategies: stress management through slow breathing, structured problem-solving for practical difficulties, behavioural activation ('Get Going, Keep Doing'), and strengthening social support networks.
Important context and scope
PM+ was designed for mild-to-moderate transdiagnostic distress rather than severe psychosis or acute suicide risk, which require specialist referral pathways within broader health systems. Published by the World Health Organization in 2016 as part of its mhGAP scalable psychological interventions series.
Date type
Publication year
Sources
- World Health Organization: Problem Management Plus (PM+) manual(primary or catalogue record)
- Bryant et al. (2017) randomised trial of PM+ in Kenya in PLOS Medicine(scholarly or historical account)
- (link to this entry)
Vikram Patel and colleagues publish the Healthy Activity Program (HAP) trial for depression in India
In a randomised trial at ten primary health centres in Goa, India, Vikram Patel and colleagues compared enhanced usual care plus the Healthy Activity Program (HAP) with enhanced usual care alone. The six- to eight-session programme was delivered by trained lay counsellors to adults with moderately severe to severe depressive symptoms.
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Why it matters
At three months, participants offered HAP alongside enhanced usual care had lower average symptom severity and a higher proportion met the study’s remission threshold than those offered enhanced usual care alone. The findings apply to the comparison and population studied, not to every setting or individual.
In psychotherapy and counselling
Counsellors were trained and supervised. The programme used behavioural activation, problem-solving and pictorial materials; delivery could take place at the health centre or at home, with telephone sessions when needed.
Important context and scope
A 12-month follow-up reported sustained differences in outcomes and estimated cost-effectiveness in the Goa study setting. The economic estimates depend on costs, outcomes and decision thresholds used in that study; they do not establish savings or effectiveness across all low- and middle-income settings. Published in The Lancet in January 2017 (online December 2016).
Date type
Clinical study or review
Sources
- Patel et al. (2017), The Healthy Activity Program (HAP), a lay counsellor-delivered brief psychological treatment for severe depression, in primary care in India (The Lancet)(primary or catalogue record)
- Sangath: PREMIUM and Healthy Activity Program resources(institutional record)
- Weobong et al. (2017): 12-month follow-up and economic analysis of the HAP trial(scholarly or historical account)
- (link to this entry)
BACP implements its revised Ethical Framework for the Counselling Professions
The British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP) brought its revised Ethical Framework for the Counselling Professions into effect on 1 July 2018. It set out commitments to clients, ethical values and principles, and good practice for BACP members.
BACP: Ethical Framework for the Counselling Professions (2018 edition)
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Why it matters
The 2018 framework described the ethical standards expected of BACP members, including responsibilities concerning client relationships, confidentiality, supervision and accountability.
In psychotherapy and counselling
The 2018 document listed six core principles: being trustworthy, autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, justice and self-respect. It described them as resources for ethical decision-making alongside its values and good-practice commitments.
Important context and scope
BACP members have been required to work to the 2026 Ethical Framework since 3 November 2026. The 2018 framework remains relevant to some accreditation applications under BACP’s transitional arrangements; readers should consult the current guidance. Implemented by the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy on 1 July 2018.
Date type
Institutional or policy milestone
Sources
- BACP: Ethical Framework for the Counselling Professions (2018 edition)(primary or catalogue record)
- BACP: Ethical Framework for the Counselling Professions (2026 framework and transition)(primary or catalogue record)
- (link to this entry)
British Psychological Society Division of Clinical Psychology publishes the Power Threat Meaning Framework
Led by clinical psychologists Lucy Johnstone and Mary Boyle alongside service-user campaigners including Jacqui Dillon, the British Psychological Society's Division of Clinical Psychology published the Power Threat Meaning Framework (PTMF) in January 2018. The document proposed a non-diagnostic alternative to psychiatric classification systems such as DSM and ICD.
British Psychological Society: The Power Threat Meaning Framework
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Why it matters
PTMF offered a systematic synthesis connecting social inequalities, trauma, and power relations with emotional distress, moving clinical discourse from 'What is wrong with you?' to 'What has happened to you?'
In psychotherapy and counselling
Collaborative formulation explores four core questions: how power has operated in a person's life, what kinds of threat this posed, what meaning the person made of those situations, and what learned 'threat responses' (often labelled as symptoms) the person had to use to survive.
Important context and scope
Published as a conceptual resource rather than official BPS policy across all divisions, PTMF generated intense debate: welcomed by many trauma-informed, narrative, and survivor groups while criticised by some psychiatrists and researchers who valued diagnostic categories for medical communication and epidemiological research. Published by the British Psychological Society Division of Clinical Psychology in January 2018.
Date type
Publication year
Sources
- British Psychological Society: The Power Threat Meaning Framework(primary or catalogue record)
- Johnstone & Boyle (2018), The Power Threat Meaning Framework: An Alternative Nondiagnostic Conceptual System (Journal of Humanistic Psychology)(scholarly or historical account)
- (link to this entry)
A third APA task force examines therapy relationships and responsiveness
The third Interdivisional APA Task Force on Evidence-Based Relationships and Responsiveness reviewed research on therapy relationships and adaptations to individual clients. Its work appeared in journal issues in 2018 and two Oxford University Press volumes in 2019: John C. Norcross and Michael J. Lambert edited the first volume; Norcross and Bruce E. Wampold edited the second.
Norcross and Lambert (2018): Psychotherapy relationships that work III, PubMed abstract
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Why it matters
The task force brought together meta-analyses of relationship elements and research on adapting therapy to the person. Its authors reported associations between relationship measures and outcomes, and assessed the evidence for different forms of responsiveness.
In psychotherapy and counselling
The relationship review considered elements such as alliance, empathy, group cohesion, positive regard and client feedback. The responsiveness volume considered characteristics including client preferences, cultural context and spirituality.
Important context and scope
Norcross and Lambert noted that much of the relationship research was correlational, making causal interpretation difficult, and that most studies reviewed were published in English and conducted in Western developed countries. Earlier task force findings appeared in a 2001 journal issue and a 2002 book, followed by a second edition and journal issue in 2011. Task Force conclusions published in Psychotherapy in late 2018 and as two Oxford University Press volumes in 2019.
Date type
Publication year
Sources
- Norcross and Lambert (2018): Psychotherapy relationships that work III, PubMed abstract(scholarly or historical account)
- Norcross and Lambert (2018): Psychotherapy relationships that work III, full text(scholarly or historical account)
- Norcross and Wampold (2018): A new therapy for each patient, PubMed abstract(scholarly or historical account)
- Oxford Academic: Psychotherapy Relationships That Work, Volume 1, edited by Norcross and Lambert (2019)(primary or catalogue record)
- Oxford Academic: Psychotherapy Relationships That Work, Volume 2, edited by Norcross and Wampold (2019)(primary or catalogue record)
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Mental health professionals expand remote care during the COVID-19 pandemic
During the COVID-19 pandemic, many mental health professionals moved to or increased remote consultations. A 2020 survey of 1,206 clinicians in 100 countries found telephone and video were the most common telehealth methods among respondents.
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Why it matters
The change raised questions about training, privacy, access and the therapeutic relationship when care is delivered at a distance.
In psychotherapy and counselling
Remote work requires attention to the practical and ethical conditions of care. A BACP framework describes competences for working online and by telephone, including contracting and safeguarding.
Important context and scope
The international survey measured clinicians’ reported use and perceptions; it was not a random sample of all practitioners and did not establish equivalent outcomes for every treatment or setting. Access, training and concerns varied across respondents. A survey conducted in June and July 2020 was published in 2022.
Date type
Historical or conference event
Sources
- Montoya and colleagues: International survey of telehealth use among mental health professionals (2022)(scholarly or historical account)
- BACP and Open University: Online and Phone Therapy competency framework(institutional record)
- Simpson and colleagues: Videotherapy and therapeutic alliance in the age of COVID-19 (2021)(scholarly or historical account)
- (link to this entry)
Pim Cuijpers and colleagues publish large-scale network meta-analyses of psychotherapies and pharmacotherapies for depression
Pim Cuijpers and colleagues published two network meta-analyses of adult depression treatments. The 2020 analysis compared psychotherapy, medication and their combination; the 2021 analysis compared types of psychotherapy with each other and control conditions.
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Why it matters
In the 2020 analysis, combined treatment had higher response rates at the end of treatment than either treatment alone. In the 2021 analysis, most psychotherapy types did not differ significantly from each other, although non-directive supportive counselling had lower response rates than the other therapies.
In psychotherapy and counselling
The authors noted that preferences and access can inform choices between therapies. Results describe groups in trials and do not establish which treatment will work best for an individual.
Important context and scope
The 2020 authors considered the 6-to-12-month comparisons preliminary because treatments and follow-up varied, and called for more research on longer-term effects. Trial quality and the types of comparison also limit interpretation. Published in World Psychiatry in 2020 and 2021; the analyses covered 101 and 331 randomised trials respectively.
Date type
Clinical study or review
Sources
- Cuijpers et al. (2020), A network meta-analysis of the effects of psychotherapies, pharmacotherapies and their combination in the treatment of adult depression (World Psychiatry)(primary or catalogue record)
- Cuijpers et al. (2021), Psychotherapies for depression: a network meta-analysis covering efficacy, acceptability and long-term outcomes (World Psychiatry)(primary or catalogue record)
- (link to this entry)
NICE publishes updated Depression in Adults guideline (NG222) emphasising patient choice across psychological therapies
In June 2022 the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) published its updated guideline Depression in adults: treatment and management (NG222), replacing the 2009 guideline (CG90). Following sustained consultation with therapy bodies and service users, NG222 placed shared decision-making and patient choice across a menu of evidence-based psychological therapies ahead of routine antidepressant prescribing for less severe depression.
NICE Guideline NG222: Depression in adults: treatment and management
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Why it matters
The guideline marked a policy shift in the UK away from a rigid single-treatment hierarchy toward structured patient choice across cognitive-behavioural, behavioural activation, interpersonal, mindfulness-based, counselling for depression, and short-term psychodynamic therapies, while also introducing guidance on safe antidepressant withdrawal.
In psychotherapy and counselling
Clinicians are expected to discuss the format, duration, and focus of available psychological options alongside the person's clinical needs, cultural context, and personal preferences before starting treatment.
Important context and scope
A coalition of psychotherapy, counselling, and service-user organisations had formally challenged earlier 2017-2018 drafts of the guideline over methodological weighting of long-term outcomes and client preference, shaping the final 2022 recommendations. NICE Guideline NG222 published on 29 June 2022, following five years of stakeholder consultation and NICE's Shared Decision Making guideline (NG197, 2021).
Date type
Institutional or policy milestone
Sources
- NICE Guideline NG222: Depression in adults: treatment and management(primary or catalogue record)
- NICE Guideline NG197: Shared decision making(institutional record)
- (link to this entry)
WHO publishes the World Mental Health Report: Transforming Mental Health for All
In June 2022 the World Health Organization published its flagship World Mental Health Report: Transforming Mental Health for All, its largest global review since 2001. The report called on governments to shift investment away from custodial psychiatric institutions toward community-based mental health networks, scalable psychological interventions, and action on social determinants of distress.
WHO: World Mental Health Report: Transforming Mental Health for All (2022)
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Why it matters
The report elevated psychological and psychosocial interventions, human rights, and lived-experience leadership as central pillars of global public health policy following the COVID-19 pandemic.
In psychotherapy and counselling
It endorsed a tiered system combining multisectoral promotion and prevention, task-shared brief psychological interventions in primary care and community settings, and accessible specialist psychotherapy integrated into general healthcare.
Important context and scope
While setting an ambitious international benchmark, the report noted that median government mental health spending remained around 2% of health budgets globally, leaving huge disparities in access to psychological care. Published by the World Health Organization on 17 June 2022.
Date type
Publication year
Sources
- WHO: World Mental Health Report: Transforming Mental Health for All (2022)(primary or catalogue record)
- WHO Mental Health Action Plan 2013-2030(institutional record)
- (link to this entry)
NHS England rebrands IAPT as NHS Talking Therapies for anxiety and depression
In January 2023 NHS England formally renamed the Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) programme as 'NHS Talking Therapies, for anxiety and depression'. The rebrand followed extensive public and clinical consultation designed to replace technical acronym jargon with accessible, plain-English naming across all local services in England.
NHS England: NHS Talking Therapies, for anxiety and depression
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Why it matters
Fifteen years after its 2008 launch, the service had become a permanent fixture of the British healthcare landscape, treating over 1.2 million adults annually and publishing open national recovery datasets.
In psychotherapy and counselling
Alongside the rebrand, services continued expanding employment support advisers, long-term physical health condition pathways, and training in NICE-recommended modalities beyond CBT, including person-centred experiential counselling for depression, IPT, EMDR, and brief dynamic interpersonal therapy.
Important context and scope
The rebrand standardised naming across dozens of local NHS trusts that had previously used inconsistent local brand names, while continuing to use the established IAPT clinical governance and outcome monitoring architecture. National rebrand announced by NHS England in January 2023 following public consultation.
Date type
Institutional or policy milestone
Sources
- NHS England: NHS Talking Therapies, for anxiety and depression(primary or catalogue record)
- National Collaborating Centre for Mental Health: The NHS Talking Therapies Manual(institutional record)
- (link to this entry)
Psychologists examine AI use and ethics in clinical practice
In its 2024 Practitioner Pulse Survey, the American Psychological Association reported that some psychologists used artificial intelligence for work such as writing, summarising or note-taking. The survey described reported use, not evidence that these tools improve clinical outcomes.
American Psychological Association: 2024 Practitioner Pulse Survey
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Why it matters
Generative AI raised questions about confidentiality, accuracy, bias and professional accountability in psychological practice.
In psychotherapy and counselling
The APA published ethical guidance for health service psychologists in 2025. It discusses informed consent, data privacy, critical evaluation of AI-generated content and continued professional oversight. Applicable legal and professional requirements vary by jurisdiction and use.
Important context and scope
The 2024 survey and 2025 guidance are distinct documents. The survey is not a measure of every therapist’s practice, and the guidance addresses health service psychologists rather than setting a universal rule for all practitioners. The APA survey covers 2024; its ethical guidance was created in 2025.
Date type
Institutional or policy milestone
Sources
About this timeline and its sources
This chronology brings together 125 selected milestones across the history of psychotherapy and psychological counselling. It traces moral treatment and early hypnosis, psychoanalysis and psychodynamic schools, humanistic and existential practice, behavioural and cognitive therapies, systemic and relational work, third-wave contextual models, common-factors and outcome research, and global community-based interventions.
Dates record different kinds of historical evidence. A book or treatment manual date marks when a text appeared in print, not a single moment when a therapeutic tradition began. A clinical study date marks either when research took place or when its report was published. Institutional dates record the founding of clinics, societies, training standards, or public programmes.
Historical influence is distinct from clinical evidence. Many foundational works relied on clinical case descriptions, philosophical synthesis, or retrospective institutional accounts rather than controlled outcome trials. Where later research, replication work, or cultural critique has qualified an early claim, the entry context notes those boundaries explicitly.
This site is an educational draft within the Therapy101 reference family. It provides historical and conceptual orientation only, with no medical advice, diagnostic tools, or personalised treatment recommendations. Text size and sidebar preferences are stored locally in your browser.