Graduate school training in CBT supervision to develop knowledge and competencies

ABSTRACT

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is the dominant training model adopted by clinical psychology training programs and is commonly reported as the primary theoretical orientation among community therapists. However, few American psychologists receive formal training in supervision to support CBT, despite APA recommendations related to supervision competencies. Graduate training is an optimal time and place for supervision training, and we describe a CBT supervision workshop within a clinical doctoral program. Twenty-three trainees (69.6% Caucasian/White, 73.9% women) reported declarative knowledge of supervision and perceived supervision competencies before and after the workshop. Trainees increased declarative knowledge and perceived supervision competencies. Graduate training in CBT supervision may help develop a well-trained supervisor workforce that can better support the use of evidence-based therapies, such as CBT.

KEYWORDS:

• Professional psychology graduate training
• supervision
• competency

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Ethical standards

The authors have abided by the Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct as set out by the American Psychological Association. This study was approved by the Institutional Review Board of the University of Texas at Austin (2015-04-0014).

Additional information

Funding

This research received no specific grant from any funding agency, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.

Notes on contributors

Sarah Kate Bearman

Sarah Kate Bearman, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor in the School Psychology program of the Department of Educational Psychology in the College of Education at The University of Texas at Austin. A clinical child psychologist, her interests focus on advancing effective and scientifically supported treatments for youth and families in low-resource settings. In particular, she is interested in the supportive infrastructures, such as clinical supervision, that can promote successful adoption and implementation of evidence-based therapies.

Abby Bailin

Abby Bailin, M.A., is a doctoral student in the School Psychology program of the Department of Educational Psychology in the College of Education at The University of Texas at Austin. Abby is focused on improving the reach and effectiveness of mental health treatments for underserved and vulnerable youths and families. In particular, she is interested in using novel means of service delivery (i.e., technology) in non-traditional service settings to reach segments of the population unlikely to access traditional mental health services. She is also interested in investigating ways to enhance training for providers from a range of disciplines serving children and families in community-based settings.

Rafaella Sale

Rafaella Sale, M.A., is a doctoral student in the School Psychology program of the Department of Educational Psychology in the College of Education at The University of Texas at Austin. She specializes in pediatric neuropsychology and focuses her research on the dissemination and implementation of empirically-supported practices for mental health treatment, particularly through supervision for master’s-level clinicians.