In the British National Health Service, many treatment units are now being called upon to justify their existence. Psychotherapy, as a specialty which is poorly resourced and ill-understood by outsiders, may encounter particular problems. Managers and planners are now increasingly contacting bodies such as the APP, the Tavistock Clinic, and the Psychotherapy Section of the Royal College of Psychiatrists, seeking information about psychotherapy, including data as to its efficacy. A conference was recently set up jointly by these organisations to address the problem of what sort of data to provide; and this bibliography originates from the conference. The author's aim is to provide a small working list of articles and books which could be used to inform the public and illustrate the multiple functions of psychotherapy units in the NHS, as well as to show evidence of the efficacy of the treatments provided.