Years ago, as I perched eagerly at my graduate school desk in preparation for my career, listening to lectures on therapy, I imagined applying specialized interventions to treat particular diagnoses. Like a doctor might prescribe an exact antibiotic to address an infection, I thought I would identify the "correct" therapy and apply it accordingly. I quickly learned that, when it comes to the complexities of a person's mind and life, this is not how much works.

People are more than the diagnosis on their charts, and their needs rarely fall into neat boxes. In addition, it is rare for someone to seek only treatment for a condition. With our minds and relationships, needs become far more tangled. Someone might carry a diagnosis of "generalized anxiety disorder." For example, no two people will have quite the same experience or goals. One person might wish to address worry because it distracts them when trying to enjoy time with their children. Their goal would be to be fully present with their family. Another individual could have a desire to discover the reasons behind their unease. Their ultimate goal might be to spend their time on Earth in a way they feel is meaningful.

Evidence-based practices give us guidelines, yet providing psychotherapy to a human is much more complex than following a manual. Enter transdiagnostic, contextual psychotherapies.

Psychotherapy has its fashions. Some modalities are designed for particular presenting concerns—for example, cognitive behavioral therapy for psychosis (CBTp). Others apply to a slightly broader group. An illustration of this might be interpersonal social rhythm therapy (ISPRT), a psychotherapy meant........

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