Now don't get me wrong, the TherapyWorks publications which I have seen have been well done and are based on solid empirical research. However, when the brochure says "After completing the Panic Control Treatment (PCT) program, 87% of patients remained panic-free at post-treatment" it occurs to me that, in the outcome studies of PCT which I have seen, the therapists didn't simply buy a manual and a workbook then start treating patients, they were trained and supervised by experts. I wonder if PCT (or any of the other empirically-based protocols) will prove as effective when delivered by someone who has simply purchased a treatment manual and is trying to provide treatment "by the book."

Is there a risk of undercutting the effectiveness of empirically-supported treatments by giving the impression that they are so simple that one can deliver them effectively without any need for training or supervision?