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The CRPO path, by Canada Therapy & Wellness
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Therapeutic modalities at a glance
Nine approaches side by side: the core idea, typical techniques and the evidence, each with one peer-reviewed source, and what CRPO asks of you before you use one.
Study aid, not legal advice.Last verified against the official sources linked below on .
Before the table
- Exam options rarely name a theory: they reward the option that fits this client, this moment and their consent.
- Know the limits of the modalities you use (CRPO 2.1.1) and practise only within your competence (2.1.2).
- Before adding a modality: verifiable training, and supervision or consultation (2.1.4).
- Consent covers the process of therapy, its benefits and risks, and other options (3.2.3): explain the approach and what it will ask of the client.
- Each evidence line names one peer-reviewed source: it shows the kind of support, not a ranking.
Cognitive and behavioural
| Approach | Core idea | Typical techniques | Evidence (one source) |
|---|---|---|---|
| CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy) | How we interpret events shapes what we feel and do; changing unhelpful thoughts and behaviours relieves symptoms. | Shared formulation, thought records and cognitive restructuring, behavioural activation, graded exposure, homework, an agenda each session. | Hofmann et al. (2012), a review of 106 meta-analyses: strongest support for anxiety disorders, somatoform disorders, bulimia, anger and general stress. Cognit Ther Res 36(5):427-440. |
| DBT (dialectical behaviour therapy) | Acceptance and change held together; emotion dysregulation at the heart of self-harm and borderline personality disorder. | Validation; skills groups in mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation and interpersonal effectiveness; diary cards, chain analysis, phone coaching, a consultation team. | Linehan et al. (2006), a two-year trial with 101 women with recent suicidal behaviour: half as likely to attempt suicide as with treatment by community experts. Arch Gen Psychiatry 63(7):757-766. |
| ACT (acceptance and commitment therapy) | Psychological flexibility: make room for hard thoughts and feelings and act on chosen values, instead of fighting to control them. | Acceptance, cognitive defusion, contact with the present moment, self-as-context, values, committed action. | A-Tjak et al. (2015), a meta-analysis of randomized trials: better than waitlist, placebo and usual care (g = 0.57); no significant difference from CBT. Psychother Psychosom 84(1):30-36. |
Emotion, relationship and depth
| Approach | Core idea | Typical techniques | Evidence (one source) |
|---|---|---|---|
| EFT (emotionally focused therapy, couples) | Distress is a negative cycle driven by attachment fears; reaching and sharing the emotions beneath it builds new, safer bonds. | Tracking and naming the cycle, accessing primary emotions and attachment needs, enactments; three stages: de-escalate, restructure, consolidate. | Rathgeber et al. (2019), a meta-analysis of 33 randomized trials of couple therapy: EFT g = 0.73 after treatment, 0.66 at six months; read with caution for publication bias. J Marital Fam Ther 45(3):447-463. |
| Psychodynamic | Unconscious processes, early relationships and recurring patterns shape present difficulties; understanding them, lived in the relationship, brings change. | Open exploration, attention to feeling and avoidance, recurring themes, links between past and present, transference and countertransference, interpretation. | Shedler (2010), a review: effect sizes as large as other evidence-based therapies, with gains kept and often growing after treatment ends. Am Psychol 65(2):98-109. |
| Person-centred | Offered empathy, unconditional positive regard and congruence, a person moves toward growth; the client leads. | Empathic reflection, acceptance and genuineness more than techniques; staying within the client's frame of reference. | Elliott et al. (2018), a meta-analysis of 82 samples (6,138 clients): therapist empathy, one of its conditions, predicts outcome (r = .28) across orientations. Psychotherapy 55(4):399-410. |
Meaning, strengths and parts
| Approach | Core idea | Typical techniques | Evidence (one source) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Narrative | People live by the stories they tell about themselves; the problem is the problem, not the person. | Externalizing the problem, mapping its effects, finding unique outcomes, re-authoring, outsider witnesses, therapeutic letters. | Still limited. Vromans and Schweitzer (2011), 47 adults with major depression, eight sessions, no control group: symptom gains comparable to benchmarks and kept at three months. Psychother Res 21(1):4-15. |
| Solution-focused (SFBT) | Build solutions rather than analyse problems, from the client's strengths, exceptions and preferred future. | The miracle question, scaling questions, finding exceptions, compliments, small next steps, few sessions. | Zhang et al. (2018), a meta-analysis of nine randomized trials in medical settings: a small effect on psychosocial outcomes (d = 0.34). J Behav Med 41(2):139-151. |
| IFS (internal family systems) | The mind holds parts, protectors and exiles, and a core Self; healing comes as the Self meets each part with curiosity and compassion. | Identifying parts, unblending, befriending protectors, witnessing and unburdening exiles, asking parts for permission. | Early. Shadick et al. (2013), a trial with 79 adults with rheumatoid arthritis: less pain and better function after treatment, some gains at one year; a proof-of-concept study. J Rheumatol 40(11):1831-1841. |
Fit, timing and consent before the name of the approach; practise only what you are trained in.