Eclectic practice draws on more than one orientation and chooses methods to fit the person and the problem rather than following a single school. Over time, the field has moved from informal eclecticism toward deliberate models of psychotherapy integration.

Vocabulary & evolution of terms

• Technical eclecticism: using techniques from different approaches without merging their theories (Lazarus).
• Integration: combining the theories themselves into a new framework. Recognized forms include theoretical integration, common factors approaches and assimilative integration.
• Integration vs. technical eclecticism: eclecticism mixes tools, while integration builds a combined theory. "Eclectic" once suggested an unsystematic approach, and today integration is the more common term for a planned, coherent combination.