Recommendations for Self of the Therapist Training: a Modified Delphi Study

Abstract

ABSTRACT Couple, Marriage, and Family Therapy (CMFT) and other psychotherapy literature acknowledge the importance of therapist self-awareness and self-knowledge and discuss many potential different ways to train the self of the therapist. However, there is no collective expert guidance in the current literature for self of the therapist training. Using a modified Delphi method, this study involved systematically surveying a panel of experts to gain consensus on some of the most important concepts, methods, benefits, and risks of self of the therapist training. The panel endorsed 112 items that focused on specific elements of self of the therapist work, benefits and risks of self of the therapist training, structure and setting of self of the therapist training, expectations for supervisors and trainers, and recommendations for ongoing self of the therapist work. Clinical implications for trainers and training programs are discussed.