Evidence of Success for Human Givens

The best way to evaluate methods of treatment for mental distress is by collecting information on outcomes. This is very simple. First ask the client how he/she is feeling at the beginning under a few simple headings (e.g. work, family, personal) to establish a benchmark and second, then record the same simple outcome information before each subsequent session. The difference will be the measure of effectiveness. And even though Human Givens is new, already there is evidence confirming the claims we are making.

1. For the past half year, HG therapists have been using the simple outcome measures from www.talkingcure.com. And as there are 12500 therapy sessions in the Talking Cure data base, the comparison of Human Givens therapy against the Talking Cure data base is a strong test.

From outcome data gathered from 25 therapists and 452 clients treated with HG, we know that 75% of clients show reliable improvement in their scores (that is, statistically significant, greater than can be put down to chance). 90% of clients finish therapy with scores at least equal to or improved upon their entry scores and the “effect size” of treatment ( that is, the AMOUNT or DEGREE of improvement ), as measured by standard methodology, is 2.1. This compares very favourably with effect sizes from randomized controlled trials that are often in the 0.8 to 1 range. These results are very encouraging and indicate that HG therapy is an excellent choice for helping clients with a wide range of difficulties in varieties of different settings, in a relatively short time.

All the latest research and results are  now available on a dedicted Human Givens Foundation website.  Visit http://www.hgiprn.org

2. Regardless of the therapy model, the Talking Cure analysis shows that the most effective therapists have common features – all linked to the quality of the therapeutic relationship between the therapist and the client. These are rapport building, explicitly accessing and building on the clients own resources, utilising what the client brings (notably their theory of change), a focus on change and future orientation and obtaining valid feedback. All are key constituents of the Human Givens approach.

3. A large UK reinsurance company has now undertaken a small pilot study of Human Givens. Ten difficult cases were treated by different Human Givens therapists. The results, though still commercially sensitive, come out brilliantly in favour of HG therapy for getting people back to work. Though a small sample, it was viewed as significant by the company as all of the people had had lengthy prior periods of expensive CBT or psychodynamic therapy which had not worked.

4. A comparison of medico/legal cases in the Sheffield area suggests that Human Givens is more cost effective than CBT. This was anecdotal practice based evidence. The average number of sessions for the Human Givens therapist was compared with those of the CBT therapist under four DSM diagnoses (anxiety, travel phobia, PTSD and depression). The average sessions for Human Givens was 3.5 and for CBT, the average was 9.5 sessions.

5. Hartlepool Mind project (Human Givens Vol 11, no 1 2004). This demonstrates that even after only three years experience, adherence to Human Given’s principles can have a massive effect on the successful treatment of mental health in a community. Local hospitals, PCTs and Social Service departments are all referring clients and now the project is providing more therapy than any other local service (public or private).  Hartkepool Mind sees 500 plus clients every year.

6.  Connections Hertfordshire, where an independently evaluation (of 100 young people seen for up to six sessions) found a large improvement - with scores of 8.7 after therapy (on a scale of 1-10) compared to 3.1 before therapy.

7.  Successful of use of Fast Phobia (Vol 9 no 4 Winter 2003 of the Human Givens Therapist by Keith and Nicola Guy). Of thirty people in the trial, all of whom had been diagnosed as suffering from PTSD or partial PTSD, 93% rated themselves as either satisfied or very satisfied. Prior to fast Phobia, clients rated their level of wellbeing at 12 (out of 50). Three to six months later, the average was 32.2.

All this evidence of good Human Givens outcomes, though based on small samples, does have statistical significance. It is what one would expect. This is because Human Givens therapists not only use CBT methods but others also when these are more appropriate. The scientific basis of CBT, which focuses on challenging and changing unhelpful thoughts, is also less robust. Human Givens emphasises the prior and powerful pattern match to emotion and feeling that typically drives the thought. Finally all Human Givens therapists learn how to build and maintain the quality of the therapeutic relationship – which the evidence shows is the key to effective therapy.

Dreaming Reality: How dreaming keeps us sane or can drive us mad by Joe Griffin and Ivan Tyrell (Human Givens publishing) is a full description of dreaming theories (including Freud), with original research and results which enhance understanding of the causes of depression. Also read How to lift Depression.....Fast, Freedom from Addiction and How to master Anxiety - all by the same authors. Human Givens Publishing

If this is of interest or you are a professional, then I strongly recommend you read The Heroic Client by Barry Duncan and Scott Miller (who run the talking cure web site).  If read with an open mind, it will transform your understanding of what really works in therapy.  In summary, it is the therapist not the therapy label that is important and the key is the therapeutic relationship and not the model nor the process nor the techniques.  The book is a devastating critique of the medical model of mental illness (which still rules the roost in the NHS and the government, because doctors, pharmaeutical companies and science and the scientific method set the agenda).  But if you look carefully (which the authors do), the evidence favouring drug treatment is simply not there. There is also no evidence at all of consistent diagnosis by psychiatrists and even after 100 years of trying, we are still waiting for the chemical or biologial marker which explains mental illness.  And CBT is effective but no more so than other approaches.  CBT is just easier to manualise which of course makes it appear scientific.  My rant is over - but read the book.