In today's world of managed care -- characterized by limited mental health resources, emphasis on accountability, concerns of third-party payers, and consumer need -- the demand for mental health professionals to use briefer therapeutic approaches is on the rise. Fully 84% of all clinicians are doing some form of planned brief therapy (6-20 sessions per year per patient).

Yet despite clinical advances and outcome data that demonstrate the effectiveness of short-term therapy, many therapists -- in fact, 90% of those whose theoretical orientation is psychodynamic rather than...