Ongoing training
Deliberate practice leader Scott D. Miller, PhD, and trainers at his International Center for Clinical Excellence hold regular experiential intensives in feedback-informed treatment (FIT) and deliberate practice, as well as webinars and an annual conference. Visit www.centerforclinicalexcellence.comopens in new window.
Seattle-based FIT and deliberate practice trainer Tony Rousmaniere, PsyD, leads workshops and webinars on deliberate practice: Visit www.dpfortherapists.com/calendaropens in new window.
DIY training
Psychology practitioners can create their own deliberate practice routines. In his new book, "Deliberate Practice for Psychotherapists: A Guide to Improving Clinical Effectiveness," Rousmaniere recommends that practitioners:
- Continuously assess your performance via client-outcome reports Choose cases that are stalled, deteriorating or at risk for deterioration. Download Miller's Outcome Rating Scale and Session Rating Scale for free at https://scott-d-miller-ph-d.myshopify.com/collections/performance-metrics/products/performance-metrics-licenses-for-the-ors-and-srsopens in new window.
- Observe these cases via videotape with the client's permission.
- Seek feedback from a respected mental health colleague or expert.
- Rehearse specific skills that arise from your data. If FIT data show that you lose most of your highly anxious clients after a few sessions, for instance, observe on video what might be happening. You may see, for example, that you are unwittingly projecting discomfort with these clients. To work on this issue, you could establish a regular practice of deliberately relaxing your body and facial muscles with this discomfort in mind, so that when you are in session, you respond more openly and calmly.
- Set incremental learning goals just beyond your ability. Work on general skills, too, like improving your emotional attunement with clients, Rousmaniere suggests. One effective way to do this is to watch videos of your therapy interactions with the sound turned off. If your impression of a client is different from your impression with the sound turned on, consider what the person might be trying to express nonverbally.
- Schedule a set time for practice in a quiet place. Start with 20 minutes three times a week and build up from there.
- Repeat these steps regularly and often throughout your career.
In addition, you can network with colleagues interested in these activities by visiting the International Center for Clinical Excellence at www.centerforclinicalexcellence.comopens in new window. The site provides an online forum for discussions, resources and networking with practitioners, health care managers, educators and researchers who want to foster excellence in behavioral health services. The rewards are worth it, Rousmaniere says. "If it doesn't feel hard, then you're not advancing your skills." —Tori DeAngelis
