Browsing by Subject "Therapist development"

Now showing 1 - 2 of 2
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Development and validation of the master psychotherapist characteristics inventory
    (2012-08) Lian, Fengqin
    Master therapists are therapists who provide extremely effective therapy to clients and who are regarded by other expert therapists as "the expert". Existing qualitative studies on master therapists have revealed certain characteristics shared among the master therapists across the world. This current study developed an inventory to quantify these characteristics. The inventory is called the Master Psychotherapist Characteristics Inventory (MPCI). A total of 323 therapists with a wide range of experience completed the inventory. Item analysis and factor analysis yielded seven subscales with optimal length and high internal consistency: self-awareness (nine items, Crobach's alpha = .84), relational acumen (10 items, Crobach's alpha = .85), clinical conceptualization (13 items, Crobach's alpha = .91), learning drive (10 items, Crobach's alpha = .85), self-confidence (12 items, Crobach's alpha = .85), emotional self-care (six items, Crobach's alpha = .85), and cultural competency (13 items, Crobach's alpha = .92). The structure of the final inventory was largely consistent with the literature review results. All seven MPCI subscales were significantly correlated with social desirability measured by Billard's Short Form of the Marlowe-Crowne Social Desirability Scale. Clinical conceptualization and self-confidence were significantly correlated with years of practice and direct client contact hours. All seven MPCI subscales were significantly correlated with therapists' self-reported therapy expertise. Clinical conceptualization and self-confidence were significant predictors of therapists' self-reported therapy expertise while controlling the remaining nine of the 10 variables (seven MPCI subscale variables, years of practice, direct client contact hours, and social desirability). It was concluded that MPCI is an inventory with high reliability and structure validity. The results indicated that clinical conceptualization ability and self-confidence may be particularly important for therapists' self-perception of expertise; future research is needed to validate the relationship between MPCI scores and therapist effectiveness based on objective data.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Personal and professional characteristics of Japanese Master therapists:a qualitative investigation on expertise in psychotherapy and counseling in Japan.
    (2010-09) Hirai, Tatsuya
    This qualitative study explored the characteristics of Japanese master therapists, extracted particular experiences conducive to optimal therapist development, and examined similarities and differences between Japanese and American master therapists. Data collection was conducted through in-depth, semi-structured interviews with 10 Japanese master therapists who gained the largest number of nominations from Japanese psychotherapists and counselors. Qualitative data analysis was processed utilizing grounded theory approach (Strauss & Corbin, 1998) and CQR method (Hill et al., 2005). Data analysis was jointly conducted by four Japanese psychologists through group consensus. Results clarified important characteristics of Japanese master therapists. First, as a foundation, they possess positive personality traits, such as modesty, warmth, sincerity, absence of self-centeredness, and resilience. Based on these characteristics, they are able to build trustful relationships with their clients, both at an early stage, and throughout the therapy process. Second, they possess exceptional ability to perceive and process various cognitive (i.e., case formulation, objective monitoring of the therapy process, keen observation of the client's verbal and non-verbal cues) and emotional (i.e., accurate empathy, use of the therapist's feelings during the session) information from the client, from the therapist him/herself, and from the therapy process. This perceptive capacity of understanding makes it possible to perform at a high level of therapeutic effectiveness, maintaining a flexible therapeutic stance depending on the client. Third, master therapists are able to continuously learn from their experiences, stimulated by their curiosity and creativity, as well as their sense of responsibility and discipline as professionals. Finally, cross-cultural comparison of Japanese and American master therapists was discussed, a model of master therapist development was proposed, and suggestions for future research and therapist training were offered.