Delineating Prototypes of Training Psychotherapy

Abstract

There is no reported research comparing psychotherapy for trainees to psychotherapy for clinical patients. This preliminary study examines similarities and differences between the Training Psychotherapy Experience (TPE), an elective offered to residents in a large psychiatry training program, and psychotherapy conducted by the same clinicians in their private practices (TAU). We used the Psychotherapy Process Q-set (PQS; Ablon & Jones, 1988; Ablon, Levy, & Katzenstein, 2006). All program consultants who perform TPE were offered their standard fee to complete one PQS while envisioning a typical TPE session and another while envisioning a typical TAU session, using their own assessment of what happens in such sessions. These data were subjected to factor analysis to develop prototypes (TAU and TPE) that could be compared with each other and with validated prototypes developed by Ablon and Jones (1998, 2002). Twenty-two of the 25 clinicians who perform TPE (88%) responded to the study. We found two distinct prototypes in both TPE and TAU. One correlated significantly with Ablon and Jones' Cognitive-Behavioral and Interpersonal prototypes, and the other with their Psychodynamic prototype. There was no significant difference between corresponding TPE and TAU prototypes. We conclude, first, TPE offers trainees an experience of psychotherapy that is very similar to psychotherapy of actual patients. Second, experienced clinicians integrate a broad array of useful interventions into both TPE and TAU.

Therapists’ perspectives on optimal treatment for pathological narcissism.

“…Of these 69 prospective participants, 49% went on to complete the study, yielding a participant sample of 34 psychotherapists. This sample size is consistent with Q-methodology (prioritizing phenomenological subjectivity over generalizability; McKeown & Thomas, 1988;Watts & Stenner, 2012), and with other Q-method investigations of clinicians' perspectives (e.g., Lister & Gardner, 2006;Schottenbauer, Arnkoff, Glass, & Gray, 2006;Weis, Schottenbauer, & Gray, 2009). Indeed, a systematic review of recently published Q-methodological studies found an average participant sample size of N ϭ 40 (range ϭ 26 to 103; Dziopa & Ahern, 2011).…”

Psychotherapists' ideals in the treatment of panic disorder: An exploratory study

“…It is important to note the preliminary and exploratory nature of our study. Generalisability is limited due to our small sample – although this is comparable to similar PQS studies (Schottenbauer et al., ; Weis, Schottenbauer & Gray, ). Our sample was also comprised of participants who were members of professional organisations – and perhaps more interested in research‐related activities than other community clinicians.…”