Evidence base for talking therapies

[LifeLottery]

Where can I find reliable stats, if they exist, on the efficacy of various talking therapies such as counselling or psychotherapy? Someone told me that CBT only helps about 30 something percent of people who try it, and that those people might have got better anyway without it.

I thought psychotherapy was well know for not actually doing much.

DBT is better than CBT but I don’t know if there are any stats on that.

This is a complex question -
you could look at the particular disorder / problem you are seeking therapy for e.g. OCD / PTSD etc
then look at the evidence base of particular therapies for treatment of particular disorders as it varies of course
then you need to to check out an appropriate dose / sessions of therapy that is advocated for a course of therapy as that will impact on efficacy
then you need to consider does the therapist have the credentials/ experience / skills to be able to deliver the treatment
then there are personal characteristics of the person receiving therapy -
are they able to engage in a talking therapy
are there conflicts in life that will get in the way
can the patient make behavioural changes
can they think flexibly / psychologically

I've no idea on peer reviewed data but personal experience suggests that it's quite a complex area and for talking therapies to be effective, the right therapist and client needs to be matched. I have had various therapists all but one of who were a complete waste of time and in one case actively made me worse. On the other hand, I credit one therapist in particular for my still being alive (and I was actively suicidal before I started working with her) and I don't for a second I would have 'got better' without her.

This. Clinical trials involve 'easy' patients (ie ones without big life problems or complicated problems outside the disorder being studied in that trial) and highly qualified, heavily supervised therapists sticking to protocols. In the real world therapists are often not delivering therapy as effectively as it was designed, and clients have all kinds of complexities and comorbidities that make it hard to benefit. With all that said, I believe the NHS primary care talking therapy services do get decent recovery rates. Not sure on the latest exact stats though