This paper will give an overview of the research efforts conducted by the Westmead Psychotherapy Research Program over the last 25 years. Examples are given of research that relates to outcome, phenomenology and process in the treatment of Borderline Personality Disorder. The basis of research in psychotherapy is also discussed with reference to the need to continue questioning our philosophical assumptions.
The role of the clinician in research, and the extent to which the clinical situation can be understood as an opportunity for the application of a scientific approach from within the therapeutic relationship, are considered. Just as many clinicians see “psychotherapy” as something done by “others”, many psychotherapists see research as “other” than what they do. Both therapy and research could be seen, on the other hand, as “something I do”. The Westmead Psychotherapy Program (WPP) has been developed by people who are in the first place clinicians, and, as such, provides a model for the combination of psychotherapy practice combined with research. The talk will conclude with an open discussion about the future direction of research in the WPP.
