The Efficacy of Experiential Dynamic Therapies: A 10-Year Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Update Verified listing

ISTDP and its experiential “cousins” produce strong, lasting symptom relief, especially when compared to minimal or no treatment.

Short- vs Long-Term Gains

While many therapies “level out” post-treatment, EDTs often continue to outperform competitors at follow-up, likely due to their focus on processing defended-against emotions rather than merely managing symptoms.

Transdiagnostic Utility

Effective across anxiety, mood, personality and somatic symptom disorders—and adaptable to individual, group and online formats—EDTs offer a flexible, transdiagnostic approach well suited to complex, co-morbid cases.
Mind the Gaps

Personality disorders, non-Western populations, and many child/adolescent groups remain under-studied. Future ISTDP research should prioritize these areas.
More trials comparing EDT techniques head-to-head with process-based CBT or other modern approaches could clarify how best to integrate experiential work into broader treatment plans.

Quality & Consistency

Even well-executed trials vary in design and reporting. As practitioners, maintaining treatment fidelity and clear outcome tracking will strengthen both clinical impact and the research base.

By keeping these points in mind—alongside the robust evidence for strong, durable change—ISTDP students and clinicians can confidently integrate experiential-dynamic methods into their work, while helping shape the next wave of high-quality, targeted research.