In June 2011, the Canadian Psychological Association (CPA) Board of Directors launched a task force on the evidence-based practice of psychological treatments. The purpose of this task force was to operationalize what constitutes evidence-based practice in psychological treatment, to make recommendations about how psychologists can best integrate evidence into practice, and to disseminate information to consumers about evidence-based interventions. An important impetus for this task force was the continuing and widening scientist practitioner gap. There are both barriers and opportunities when it comes to promoting greater reliance on the scientific literature and greater uptake of empirically supported treatments among practitioners. Two main factors prevail. For one, there is considerable controversy over what constitutes best evidence. The second is that researchers often do not communicate their findings in a manner that effectively translates their results from the laboratory to the clinic. It is crucial that we not only make practice evidence-based but also make evidence practice-based. In this article, I focus on current issues and opportunities with respect to evidence-based practice and identify strategies for closing the gap between research and practice.
