Experiences related to expert supervisors' views of ideal therapeutic practice

Abstract

Aims: This study examines the relationship between expert supervisors' professional experiences and their views about the importance of different psychotherapy techniques. Method: Thirty psychodynamic-interpersonal (PI) supervisors and 13 cognitive-behavioural (CB) supervisors (N=43) were instructed to rate 20 therapeutic techniques according to how characteristic each technique is of an ideally-conducted session within their theoretical orientation. The measure used for this assessment was the Comparative Psychotherapy Process Scale. Results: Findings demonstrated that supervisors' beliefs about ideal therapeutic techniques are related to their number of years in post-graduate clinical practice, training, and supervising trainees, as well as to the number of publications they have authored. Further, experience within a given orientation tends to lead to a greater endorsement of techniques within that orientation, although this finding is more uniform for CB supervisors than PI supervisors. Finally, differential types of experience lead to differential focusing on specific techniques. Discussion: The clinical importance of these findings is explored.

Keywords:

• techniques
• psychodynamic
• cognitive-behavioral
• supervisor
• STPP

Acknowledgements

An earlier version of this paper was the recipient of the 2008 Mathilda B. Canter Education and Training Award from the Division of Psychotherapy (29), American Psychological Association.