Article Review in Therapeutic Relationship

COGNITIVE THERAPY FROM THE INSIDE: ENHANCING THERAPIST SKILLS THROUGH PRACTISING WHAT WE PREACH Barnet-Levy, James; Lee, Nicole; Travers, Katrina; Pohlman, Sonja; Hamernik, Eisabeth . Behavioural and

Cognitive Psychotherapy ; Cambridge  Vol. 31, Iss. 2,  (Apr 2003): 143-158.

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ABSTRACT  

Experiential training and personal therapy have rich traditions in various therapies as strategies to enhance self-

awareness and therapist skills. However, personal experiential work has not traditionally been part of cognitive

therapy (CT) training. The purpose of the present study is to map the impact of personal experiential work on CT

skills in a group of CT practitioners. Fourteen cognitive therapists undertook training courses utilizing a structured

approach to self-practice of CT techniques, known as self-practice/self-reflection (SP/SR). Six therapists from one

training group engaged in "co-therapy" sessions with a partner, while eight therapists from another training group

practised CT techniques on their own. Both groups engaged in regular written reflections about their experience.

Follow-up 1-5 months after the courses identified six areas of self-reported skill enhancement: Refinement of

specific CT skills; Enriched communication of the conceptual framework of CT; Increased attention to the

therapeutic relationship; Empathic attunement; Therapist self-reflection; and Therapeutic flexibility. The results

suggested that SP/SR enhances the "professional artistry" of therapists, a finding consistent with literature

suggesting that reflection is a key process in the development of therapist expertise. It is concluded that SP/SR

represents a promising training strategy for cognitive therapists. [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT] DETAILS

Publication title: Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy; Cambridge

Volume: 31

Issue: 2

Pages: 143-158

Number of pages: 16

Publication year: 2003

Publication date: Apr 2003

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Place of publication: Cambridge

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Country of publication: United Kingdom, Cambridge

Publication subject: Psychology

ISSN: 13524658

e-ISSN: 14691833

Source type: Scholarly Journals

Language of publication: English

Document type: Feature

ProQuest document ID: 213087395

Document URL: http://ezproxy.uwa.edu/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/docview/213087395?a

ccountid=14786

Copyright: 2003 British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies

Last updated: 2015-08-15

Database: Psychology Database

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