Evidence-based therapy was originally defined as the "thorough, explicit and careful use of the latest best evidence relevant for the treatment of an individual patient". It therefore relies on the latest medical findings of clinical medicine as articulated in clinical studies and medical publications which prove or disprove a particular claim - the so-called external evidence.

For our use of evidence-based therapy, this means that we integrate individual expertise with the best available external evidence as brought forward by systematic research, it also includes the patient's preference. The latter factor can also result in foregoing one form of therapy, meaning that we use evidence-based knowledge to decide whether it may be beneficial to not suggest a certain therapy.