ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses general principles of treatment in integral psychotherapy (iPT), rather than anything approximating a manual of highly specified procedures. Integrally informed psychotherapists are far from a homogeneous group. An integral-constructive approach suggests thinking in terms of two fundamental and interrelated dimensions: opening–closing and comforting–challenging. Integral psychotherapy involves an approach that is developmentally tailored to each patient; thus, there is no single therapeutic process that applies across all cases. The notion of an integral sensibility is also consistent with evidence-based practice (EBP), which the American Psychological Association defines as "the integration of the best available research with clinical expertise in the context of patient characteristics, culture, and preferences". Integral psychotherapy also varies as a function of whether the focus of therapeutic work is geared more toward coping and/or translation or deep characterological work and/or transformation.
