Background Therapist development is a crucial target for clinical training in order to ensure high‐quality psychotherapy. A major challenge in examining therapeutic development is the assessment of developmental processes. The Supervisee Levels Questionnaire (SLQ‐R) was analyzed in this study to examine its validity, reliability, and underlying dimensional structure. Method Seven hundred and sixty therapists participated in an online survey concerning their current psychotherapy training. The factor structure as well as the validity of the SLQ‐R were investigated using exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. Results In line with the results of the exploratory factor analyses, a Bifactor ESEM (exploratory structural equation modeling) model with two factors and one global factor provided the best fit to the data. The two factors were labeled professional self‐confidence and professional insecurity. Conclusion Empirical support for reliability and validity of the new factor structure of the SLQ‐R was found. The instrument is useful for assessing the therapist's developmental level.

This study suggests the substantial value of systematic competence feedback for improving therapist competence in the psychotherapy of depression. No significant effect of competence feedback on the reduction of reported depressive symptoms was found.

Objective: There is a very limited amount of research on the relationship between therapist and patient in-session behavior and treatment outcome in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for panic disorder with agoraphobia (PD/AG).Additionally, the findings tend to be inconclusive. This study investigates the association between therapist competence, adherence, patient interpersonal behavior, and therapeutic alliance and outcome in a low-control CBT setting by using comprehensive measures.Methods: Twenty-six patients with PD/AG received 12 sessions of exposure-based CBT. With regard to the outcome, treatments were classified either as problematic or nonproblematic by means of distinct criteria.Two raters evaluated the in-session behavior.Results: Patient interpersonal behavior was significantly associated with outcome at follow-up (r = 0.49). At posttreatment, the correlation did not reach significance (r = 0.34). Competence, adherence, and alliance were not outcome associated. Conclusion:The findings emphasize the need for therapists to pay particular attention to patients' interpersonal behavior during treatment.