Perceived professional gains of master's level students following a person-of-the-therapist training program: a retrospective content analysis

Emotion regulation in emotionally focused therapists working with high-conflict couples

Guided by the Person-of-the Therapist Training (POTT) Model, the current qualitative study explores emotional experiences and emotion regulation strategies of emotionally focused trained therapists who work with high-conflict couples in Turkey. Twenty-one therapists who completed at least the externship in emotionally focused couple therapy (EFCT) and had prior or current clinical experience working with high-conflict couple(s) were recruited through various social media platforms and professional organizations' listservs. Semistructured individual interviews were conducted, audio-recorded, and transcribed verbatim. Thematic analysis of the qualitative data revealed five main themes: (1) Different Compelling Emotional Experiences of the Therapists, (2) Sun After Storm, (3) Triggers of Therapists' Emotions, (4) Perceived Adaptive Emotion Regulation Strategies, and (5) Positive Impact of the Therapist's Regulation Strategies on the Therapy Process. Overall, the findings supported the three phases of the POTT model: namely, knowledge of self, access to self, and use of self. Our study demonstrates the need for integrating self-of-the-therapist work into the clinical practice, training, and supervision of therapists working with distressed couples.

Retrospective analysis of the human-centered design process used to develop a clinical decision support in the emergency department: PE Dx Study Part 2

With the growing implementation and use of health IT such as Clinical Decision Support (CDS), there is increasing attention on the potential negative impact of these technologies on patients (e.g., medication errors) and clinicians (e.g., increased workload, decreased job satisfaction, burnout). Human-Centered Design (HCD) and Human Factors (HF) principles are recommended to improve the usability of health IT and reduce its negative impact on patients and clinicians; however, challenges persist. The objective of this study is to understand how an HCD process influences the usability of health IT. We conducted a systematic retrospective analysis of the HCD process used in the design of a CDS for pulmonary embolism diagnosis in the emergency department (ED). Guided by the usability outcomes (e.g., barriers and facilitators) of the CDS use "in the wild" (see Part 1 of this research in the accompanying manuscript), we performed deductive content analysis of 17 documents (e.g., design session transcripts) produced during the HCD process. We describe if and how the design team considered the barriers and facilitators during the HCD process. We identified 7 design outcomes of the HCD process, for instance designing a workaround and making a design change to the CDS. We identify gaps in the current HCD process and demonstrate the need for a continuous health IT design process.

The changing face of telesupervision and digital training in response to COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic has rapidly changed the ways in which marriage and family therapists (MFTs)/couple and family therapists (CFTs) engage in clinical supervision. Traditional face-to-face supervisory relationships have transitioned to telesupervision, which refers to supervisors using the internet as a training medium for their supervisees. Supervisors and supervisees alike are necessarily adapting to telesupervision relationships in an evolving world. As emergency protocols begin to give way to more routine procedures, it is important for supervisors to engage in meaningful conversations around the benefits, the challenges, and the future of telesupervision. This article discusses the various facets of telesupervision, including ethical implications, supervision modalities, the virtual supervisory alliance, the impact of telesupervision upon self-of-the-therapist work, and the potential benefits of telesupervision.

The Soul of Therapy: The Therapist’s Use of Self in the Therapeutic Relationship

This paper is based on the premises that the conscious, active and purposeful use of self by the therapist in the therapeutic process is an essential aptitude in establishing an effective therapeutic relationship, and that this therapeutically purposeful use of self can and should be incorporated in the training of all therapists in a explicitly systematic manner. The paper will attempt to identify the contributions of the “what and how” the use of self by therapists contributes to the therapeutic process. First of all, therapists’ use of self is meant to be viewed as a Common Factor as defined by Sprenkle, Davis & Lebow (2009), which is a perspective about the effectiveness of therapy that “asserts that the qualities and capabilities of the person offering the treatment are more important than the treatment itself” (p. 4). Secondly, the use of self by therapists emphasizes developing the skill set of the therapist in the conscious, active and purposeful use of self as is in the moment of the therapeutic engagement with clients, and does so without denying the importance of therapists working to resolve personal issues of theirs that may interfere with the therapist's professional effectiveness. Therapists’ use of self gives particular emphasis to the purposeful use of self as is in therapy’s relationship, assessment and interventions whatever the therapy model (Aponte & Kissil, 2016). Thirdly, the use of self represents an aptitude that can be developed and refined through well elaborated structures for schooling therapists in the therapeutic use of all they bring of their personal selves to the therapy relationship including through the use of their human vulnerabilities as they exist at the moment of empathic engagement with clients.

A Tool for Connection: Using the Person-of-the-Therapist Training (POTT) Model in Emotionally Focused Couple Therapy Supervision

Emotionally Focused Couple Therapy (EFT) was developed based on the premise that couples get stuck in negative cycles fueled by their underlying primary emotions and unmet attachment needs (Johnson [2004], Creating connection: The practice of Emotionally Focused Couple Therapy). EFT therapists need to stay in touch with and regulate their own emotions when the tension rises in the sessions, while still staying open and vulnerable to their clients. Person-of-the-Therapist Training model (Aponte & Kissil [2016], The person of the therapist training model: Mastering the use of self) aims to increase therapists' understanding, awareness, and acceptance of their own personal issues to create a more empathic connection with their clients. In this manuscript, the authors create a roadmap for EFT supervisors to use the POTT model in supervision as a tool to enhance their supervisees' connection to their clients and effectiveness of their interventions.

Does the Person-of-the-Therapist Training (POTT) Promote Self-Care? Personal Gains of MFT Trainees Following POTT: A Retrospective Thematic Analysis

As we recognize how taxing our profession can be, therapist's self-care has become a salient topic in mental health. However, we are still discerning how to promote self-care in our practice and in training. In this paper, we present a study on the personal gains that MFT students experienced after participating in the Person-of-the-Therapist Training (POTT). We propose that the reported changes (better understanding of self, change to self, relational changes, and change as a process) constitute improvements in the trainees' well-being, and can therefore be considered self-caring behaviors and practices. We state that models like POTT, that focus on embracing our vulnerability, can help clinicians be more caring toward ourselves. We conclude this paper by presenting clinical and training recommendations.

Training for Connection: Students' Perceptions of the Effects of the Person-of-the-Therapist Training on Their Therapeutic Relationships

The Person-of-the-Therapist Training (POTT) is a program designed to facilitate clinicians' ability to consciously and purposefully use their selves to effectively connect, assess, and intervene with clients. This study explored CFT students' perceptions of the effects of POTT on their ability to create positive therapeutic relationships. Course papers and final reflections were collected from 70 CFT students. Directed content analysis looking for evidence-supported elements of positive therapeutic relationships revealed 5 elements: empathy, management of countertransference, balancing multiple alliances, positive regard, and bond. Findings support the idea that a structured program focused on the training of the personal aspects of the therapists, like POTT, can promote the evidence-supported elements that make a therapeutic relationship effective.