Effects of feedback and deliberate practice in psychotherapy training

心理治疗培训旨在促进学员的能力发展。关系能力是治疗师的核心能力，它包含了治疗师建立治疗联盟和促进患者改变的行为。然而，如何在培训中提升关系能力，目前还没有系统的、可控的研究。鉴于德语国家正在进行的心理治疗培训和执照改革，越来越需要能够跨理论方向应用的循证培训方法。本研究旨在评估德国、奥地利、瑞士心理治疗学员关系能力的训练方法。能力训练建立在刻意练习的方法上，包括系统的反馈和基于模拟的方法。在随机对照设计中，对系统能力反馈、模拟训练以及两者相结合的训练方法进行了评价。德国将招募200名学员，治疗1000名患者，进行成人心理治疗的认知行为或心理动力训练。他们将被分配到三个干预组或积极对照组中的一个。培训方法将通过评估受训者的关系能力以及在受训者治疗患者结果中的工作联盟来评估。本研究的结果将进一步为心理治疗培训中针对特定能力的培训提供证据基础，以改善培训和效果。

Psychotherapy training aims at promoting the competence development of trainees. Relational competence is a core therapist competence that encompasses therapist behaviors to establish the therapeutic alliance and facilitate patient change. Yet, there are no systematic and controlled studies how relational competence can be promoted in training. In light of ongoing reforms of psychotherapy training and licensure in German-speaking countries, there is a growing need for evidence-based training methods that can be applied across theoretic orientations. This study has the goal to evaluate training methods for relational competence among psychotherapy trainees in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. The competence training builds on methods of deliberate practice that include systematic feedback and simulation-based approaches. The study aims at evaluating the training methods of systematic competence feedback, simulation as well as a combination of both in a randomized controlled design. A total of 200 trainees, treating 1,000 patients, in cognitive-behavioral or psychodynamic training for adult psychotherapy will be recruited in Germany. They will be assigned to one of three intervention groups or an active control group. The training methods will be evaluated by assessing the trainees’ relational competence as well as working alliance in outcome in trainees’ patient treatments. The results of this study will further establish an evidence-base for targeting specific competencies in psychotherapy training to improve training and outcomes.