Effects of feedback and deliberate practice in psychotherapy training

• Applicants: Professor Dr. Bernhard Strauß; Professorin Dr. Svenja Taubner
• Subject Area: General and Domain-Specific Teaching and Learning
• Term: since 2022
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 496052338

Psychotherapy training aims at promoting the competence development of trainees. Relational competence is a core therapist competence that encompasses therapist behaviors to establish the therapeutic alliance and facilitate patient change. Yet, there are no systematic and controlled studies how relational competence can be promoted in training. In light of ongoing reforms of psychotherapy training and licensure in German-speaking countries, there is a growing need for evidence-based training methods that can be applied across theoretic orientations. This study has the goal to evaluate training methods for relational competence among psychotherapy trainees in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. The competence training builds on methods of deliberate practice that include systematic feedback and simulation-based approaches. The study aims at evaluating the training methods of systematic competence feedback, simulation as well as a combination of both in a randomized controlled design. A total of 200 trainees, treating 1,000 patients, in cognitive-behavioral or psychodynamic training for adult psychotherapy will be recruited in Germany. They will be assigned to one of three intervention groups or an active control group. The training methods will be evaluated by assessing the trainees’ relational competence as well as working alliance in outcome in trainees’ patient treatments. The results of this study will further establish an evidence-base for targeting specific competencies in psychotherapy training to improve training and outcomes.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants