ABSTRACT
There is already a plethora of theories about treatment of distressed people and ways to change deviant or maladaptive behavior. Why do we need another?
Indeed, why do we need a theory at all? Why not just collect the best practices or the evidence-based treatments and use them? Empirically, I could argue that our evidence base is woefully inadequate, but that sidesteps the question. Why theory? Because, without it, one can’t organize one’s thinking. By organizing thinking about treatment, I mean having an understanding of what is to be treated, why it needs treatment, what successful treatment would look like, and how one might get from distress and danger to comfort and safety.
