Abstract

Deliberate Practice is an emerging technique for competency-based education within psychotherapy training. In this multiple-case study, deliberate practice is evaluated for training the cognitive-behavioral therapeutic skill of evaluating automatic thoughts, also known as Socratic questioning. Students in a Clinical Psychology Ph.D. program responded to an actress in a simulated automatic negative thought therapy scenario before and after participating in a deliberate practice workshop. The workshop consisted of an overview of Socratic questioning, roleplay, expert feedback, and behavioral rehearsal. Scenario roleplays before and after the workshop presented situations related to client "lovability" and "competence" providing an opportunity for the participants to use Socratic Questioning. Statistical analyses included descriptive statistics of participants pre and posttest to measure change in adherence, competency, and self-efficacy. Both quantitative and qualitative analyses were examined to assess pre to post workshop changes in the use of Socratic Questioning. Findings indicated that deliberate practice is a promising technique for improving confidence in student's ability to evaluate ANTs as well as improving their competency and adherence in cognitive methods. Students reported finding deliberate practice to be helpful and would like more opportunities for structured, supervised, and repetitive practice built into their training program.

Degree

College and Department

Family, Home, and Social Sciences; Psychology

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