Themen der Ausbildungsforschung in der Psychotherapie

The Therapist's Intuition and Responsiveness: What Makes the Difference between Expert and in Training Gestalt Psychotherapists

This study aims to investigate the presence of intuition and responsiveness in early students and in experienced students and psychotherapists, which is understood as the ability to integrate bodily sensitivity and cognition of what is experienced with the patient (aesthetic relational knowing-ARK). The study compares how the therapist's felt sense of the phenomenological intersubjective field and aesthetic relational competence differs between a group of experienced students and psychotherapists and a group of beginners. The sample consisted of 128 participants (20 M; 108 F), finally divided into two groups: "experienced students and psychotherapists" and "beginners". The Aesthetic Relational Knowledge Scale (ARKS), a questionnaire consisting of 58 items targeting three factors (empathy, body awareness, and resonance), was administered. Statistical analyses were conducted to assess (i) differences between the two groups (through Student's t and Cohen's d for effect sizes), (ii) the influence of the level of training for each ARK factor using analyses of covariance for testing the possible influence of demographic variables, and (iii) logistic regressions to compare the influence of the three factors of the ARK model on the group variable with groups as a categorical variable. Significant differences between the two groups were found in body awareness and resonance. Body awareness was found to be the variable best discriminating between the beginners and the experienced students and psychotherapists. Despite being non-significant, there is a tendency suggesting that empathy appears more relevant at the beginning of training. The study shows the importance of training for the development of the therapist's intuition and responsiveness, especially in the factors of body awareness and resonance. The results indicate the importance of assessing and supporting the aesthetic and field resonance of therapists in training, increasing quality and depth of the therapist's responsiveness. This study is limited by a correlational design using self-report and on a limited sample, but it shows that the ARKS can monitor the effectiveness of training related to Gestalt therapeutic competencies.

[Effects of Personal Therapy during psychotherapy training - A Systematic Review]

BACKGROUND

Self-experiential work/personal therapy as part of psychotherapeutic training is often under critical discussion. In the German system, self-experiential work will remain an established part of training in psychosocial medical specialties and will continue to be part of the future curriculum in psychotherapy and in practical training subsequent to the study.

OBJECTIVES

Identification of different impacts of self-experiential work on psychotherapy trainees.

MATERIAL AND METHOD

Systematic literature review of studies between 2005 and 2020. Literature search via electronic databases, prior literature search and searches through reference lists of previous research. Selection via previously determined inclusion and exclusion criteria.

RESULTS

Thirteen studies were selected for this review. Results were summarised related to 7 outcome variables which mostly displayed positive impacts of self experience related to interpersonal skills, self-perception, knowledge and understanding of therapeutic work, well-being and relief. Satisfaction and the acceptance of the subjective importance of personal therapy for increasing competence were more common than reports about intensive emotions and stress.

CONCLUSION

Self-experiential work is highly valued by psychotherapy trainees and is therefore correctly considered as an obligatory part of training. Nonetheless, it should be evaluated regularly. For further research, self-reports, the most commonly used method, should be combined with objective measures, representativeness of samples should be enhanced and long-term effects should be investigated.

[Adverse childhood experiences, attachment representations and mentalizing capacity of psychotherapists in training]

Adverse childhood experiences, attachment representations and mentalizing capacity of psychotherapists in training Objectives: In this study we analyzed the relation between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), attachment representations and reflective functioning (RF) in psychotherapy trainees. Methods: 90 trainees in the beginning of their training of three psychotherapeutic approaches (CBT, psychodynamic and psychoanalytic) were assessed with the Adult-Attachment- Interview (AAI). AAIs were coded for attachment representation, ACE and RF. Experiences in psychotherapy as a patient before training were assessed by online inquiry. Data were analyzed via mediator- and moderator analysis. Results: Therapists in training show to be as burdened as the general population in terms of ACEs. Coding of the AAIs revealed a high percentage of secure attachment (85 %) and mentalizing capacities above the average (RF = 5.8). The relation between number of ACEs and RF was completely mediated by the degree of attachment security. The number of psychotherapy hours before training moderated the negative effect of the number of ACEs on RF. Conclusions: Results underline the importance of personal therapy during training and raise the question how reflective functioning can be fostered during training.

[Psychotherapy training in Austria: Baseline and socio-demographic background data from a SPRISTAD (Society of Psychotherapy Research Interest Section on Therapist Training and Development)-Pilotstudy]

Objectives: Description of the qualifications of psychotherapy-training candidates in Austria at the beginning of their training. Methods: Psychotherapists in training in Austria were interviewed at the beginning of their training concerning their socio-demographic background and prior education. These background data were collected using the Trainee Background Information Form (TBIF), which was designed by the Society for Psychotherapy Research Interest Section on Therapist Training and Development (SPRISTAD). Results: The group of 197 psychotherapy trainees from Austria consists largely of women, of persons with high school education and with a satisfactory, financially secure life situation. One-third of them show a "second career" pattern, which is in line with the predominantly part-time training programs in Austria. A high percentage of the candidates have previous professional experience in the psychosocial field. Conclusions: As this is a pilot study, results can be seen as a starting point for further research in psychotherapy training and competence development. In discussing the findings, both national conditions and opportunities for future interdisciplinary research are considered.

German students' current choice of profession in the field of psychotherapy: Reasons for or against engaging in psychoanalytic training

The psychoanalytic societies in Germany as in many other countries are concerned by a decline in the number of candidates for full psychoanalytic training. While this situation is partly attributable to changes both in society and in educational and healthcare systems, it is questionable whether psychoanalytic training institutions have yet found adequate responses to it. Under the banner of 'evidence-based treatment', behaviour therapy has come to be widely disseminated, with major implications for the teaching of different psychotherapy paradigms at universities. To investigate the determinants of this trend in the specific German situation, a large-scale, multi-method exploratory study supported by IPA's DPPT programme was undertaken, focusing on the reasons given by a population (N = 679) of German psychology, medical, and education students for embarking on training in psychoanalysis or behaviour therapy. The results suggest that behaviour therapy is more compatible with the prevailing scientific understanding and with current societal and cultural trends, owing in part to inadequacies or bias in university teaching of the various paradigms of psychotherapy. While most of the psychology students expressed a preference for behavioural training, the psychotherapy option proved less attractive for their counterparts in the fields of medicine and education. Semi-standardized qualitative interviews were used to gain a deeper understanding of the students' decisions for or against training in a specific paradigm, and led to the identification of seven decision-making prototypes. Possible reasons for the students' decisions are discussed, and concrete proposals and recommendations are presented.