The field of psychology holds theory to be one of the critical determinants of practice, yet the relationship between the two is difficult to describe. This article presents a seven-level model that delineates the different pathways through which theory affects conceptualization and intervention. Four outer levels of the framework (assumptive world, school, theory, and theorist) provide a way to organize clinical thinking, whereas two inner levels (strategy and technique) direct practice. The critical working hypothesis level serves as a bridge between the two. A case example illustrates the application of this model to clinical data, and implications are emphasized for graduate student training and psychotherapy practice.
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