John Cowan - What Works?

Here’s some figures to remember: 40, 30, 15, 15.  They add up to a hundred.

Research on family therapy shows only 15% of the benefit comes from the actual therapy. Another 15% comes from clients actually believing that the programme was going to work and do them some good – that’s the power of hope. 30% of the benefit comes from the relationship: if people like and trust their therapist or teacher, good things happen. The remaining 40% of the benefit comes from the clients themselves – their knowledge, upbringing, family support and so on.  So that’s 40% from the client’s background, 30% from the relationship, 15% from hope and just 15% from the actual therapy.  

I often get asked what is the best type of school, or which particular therapy might be best, or for my advice on parenting courses, and all sorts of things. Of course there are differences and I have my opinions but... it often doesn’t matter.

Schools vary, but your child’s success will depend far more on what you do at home – the background support you give them –  and how much they like the teachers. That’s far more important than whether it’s an expensive single sex grammar school or a co-ed country school. Same with depression therapies – comparisons show that just about every type of therapy gives similar positive results – you put a caring empathetic person into the situation and the relationship causes good things to happen.

Parenting courses are similar – if you have a great, optimistic facilitator you’ll get great results.  40% from the client’s background, 30% from the relationship, 15% from hope, and just 15% from the programme.

Parents, here’s the thing: where does your child get his background? Where does he get his relationship skills? Where does he get his optimism and hope? If we do our job right, our kids are 85% of the way there.



Reference: MJ Lambert - Handbook of psychotherapy integration, 1992