Improving Therapist Effectiveness: The Case for Deliberate Practice - Abstract
Psychotherapy has been consistently shown to be effective. Results of numerous studies reveal that those treated with psychotherapy report better outcomes compared to those untreated or on waitlists. In the current climate of cost containment, limited resources, and increased accountability, therapists are being increasingly tasked with demonstrating effectiveness – to clients and payors. This shift has resulted in an increased emphasis on continuous quality improvement efforts and a review of current methods of skill development and professional growth. Despite long-held beliefs that experience is related to effectiveness (i.e., the longer the amount of time in the field, the more effective the therapist), recent studies suggest that this is not the case. This finding has implications for continuing education models in that they may not be effective in improving therapist performance. Thus, new models are needed to ensure continued therapist growth and development which focus specifically on individual growth edges or areas in need of improvement. Deliberate practice is an emerging continuous improvement approach in which therapists challenge themselves to identify the edge of their ability by examining inconsistencies in performance and through consultation, reflection, and practice, refine skills to improve performance. This commentary briefly describes the deliberate practice approach and argues for its use in psychotherapy continuous quality improvement efforts and continuing education programming.