Determined to Improve: An Exploration of Therapist Perspectives About Their Development

 Determined to Improve: An Exploration of Therapist Perspectives About Their Development

Psychotherapy, 2021

Therapist performance is related to positive client outcomes. This study aims to explore what motivates highly effective therapists to improve and what methods they employ to increase their expertise.

Results showed that effective therapists are driven by a client-centered approach, consistently seeking knowledge to apply tools that meet their clients' needs. Highly capable therapists welcome feedback and see therapeutic challenges as an opportunity for growth, while learning and adapting to provide the best care possible. 

This study furthers our understanding on what motivates effective therapists and highlights the necessity for continual training that encourages deliberate practice of therapeutic skills, fosters a growth mindset for clinicians, and places a focus on tools that are beneficial for specific client populations. This approach ensures that therapists remain at the forefront of their field, providing the highest quality of care.

Highlights from the Study

“We found that effective therapists experiment with new skills and tools, seek feedback  from various sources, and think critically about their past work. The process of excelling at therapy is a dynamic, continual and multifaceted phenomenon without an endpoint. Findings from this study serve as an encouragement for therapists to pursue expertise and to practice deliberately throughout their careers.”(p.446)

“What is more remarkable, though, is that they were determined to grow in any and almost every environment.”(p. 445)

“Notably the characteristics of therapists in this study are similar to characteristics of resilient therapists in that they possess core values and beliefs framework and a desire to learn and grow.”(p.445)
 

At Feeling Good Institute, our mission is to elevate therapy with the intention of lifelong learning. Through weekly deliberate practice, peer supervision, and routine outcome monitoring before and after each session, we cultivate a community of highly effective clinicians who are passionate about growth and improvement. 

Research Brief Author:  Sarah Chickering, Ph.D.
 

Citation: Chambers-Baltz, S., Knutson, D., Becerra, M., Hughes, A., Cantu Cantu, L., & Cadaret, M. (2021). Determined to improve: An exploration of therapist perspectives about their development. Psychotherapy, 58 (4), 437-448.