Practice Makes Perfect? Therapist Development in Education and Clinical Practice
The project examines how practice-oriented and experience-based forms of learning can strengthen therapists’ interpersonal, relational, and reflective skills. In particular, it explores how psychology students and psychotherapists can develop the capacity to manage emotionally demanding situations, relational challenges, and alliance ruptures in psychotherapy.
The project consists of two subprojects exploring complementary approaches to therapist development.
Project leader: Ida Solhaug, Associate Professor and specialist in psychotherapy at the Department of Psychology, UiT The Arctic University of Norway.
Subproject 1: Deliberate Practice in Psychotherapy Supervision
This subproject examines how deliberate practice (DP) can be integrated into the supervision of psychology students in clinical placements. DP involves targeted practice of challenging therapeutic situations, with specific feedback, repetition, and reflection.
Interviews with supervisors and students explore their experiences with DP-oriented supervision, including learning processes, safety, vulnerability, and the supervisory relationship. The project also investigates the extent to which, and the ways in which, learning from supervision is transferred to the students’ clinical work.
Collaborators: Vidar Husby; Henrik Wang Iversen, University Hospital of North Norway (UNN); Ragna Louise Sandvoll, UNN; and colleagues in the Clinical Psychology Research Group: Jens Thimm, Kjersti Lillevoll, Veronica Lorentzen, Jane Kjøterøe, Camilla Breivik, Eva-Therese Næss, and Toril Sørheim Nilsen. Iris Borch at HELPED, UiT, is also a collaborator. Several further projects on DP in professional development are being developed.
Subproject 2: Mindfulness-Based Alliance-Focused Training
This subproject examines the feasibility, acceptability, and perceived relevance of Mindfulness-Based Alliance-Focused Training (MB-AFT). MB-AFT is a newly developed eight-week programme combining mindfulness practice with principles from Alliance-Focused Training. The programme aims to strengthen therapists’ and students’ awareness of internal and relational processes, communication about alliance difficulties, and flexible responding in emotionally demanding therapy processes.
The study includes psychotherapists at the University Hospital of North Norway (UNN) and psychology students at UiT. It combines questionnaires, brief repeated measurements, and interviews or focus groups to explore participants’ experiences, barriers, and suggestions for further development.
Collaborators: Jens Thimm; Henrik Wang Iversen, UNN; Andreas Voldstad (Oxford Mindfulness Research Centre); James Macdonald (Oxford); Christopher Muran (Adelphi University, New York); and Ragna Louise Sandvoll (UNN).