The multilevel concept of psychotherapy

For the definition and quality assurance of psychotherapy it is necessary to operationalize and evaluate therapist behavior and competency. Every psychotherapy requires various competencies. According to the multilevel concept of psychotherapy, which is described here for the first time, these competencies comprise the following dimensions: 1. therapeutic relationship, 2. basic techniques, 3. disorder specific techniques, 4. session strategy, 5. treatment process, 6. heuristic. Psychotherapeutic processes can be specified, operationalized, observed, evaluated, taught and learned independent of the therapeutic approach, the focus of the respective therapy or the prevailing therapeutic problem. The multilevel concept of psychotherapy allows to describe similarities as well as differences between various schools of psychotherapy. It can serve as a basis to structure treatment manuals, the education of psychotherapists or for quality assurance measures.