Key factors in psychotherapy training: an analysis of trainers’, trainees’ and psychotherapists’ points of view

The literature on clinical training lacks identifications of the factors that are most relevant in training programs; accordingly, the main aim of this work is to fill this research gap by assessing which factors that trainers, trainees and psychotherapists consider most relevant in psychotherapy training programs. A secondary aim is to identify whether these factors differ among trainers, trainees and psychotherapists. An ad hoc questionnaire was created and administered at 24 psychotherapy schools from 14 institutions; the sample included 641 trainees, 172 trainers and 218 psychotherapists of various theoretical orientations. The questionnaire included 63 items and used a 5-point Likert scale. An exploratory factor analysis was completed to identify the latent structure. The reliability of the dimensions was then checked. Finally, an analysis of variance and a multivariate analysis of variance were completed to achieve the study’s aims. Four factors emerged from the study’s results: trainers’ relational characteristics, supervision, transmission of clinical know-how, and theoretical background and technical support. All these factors displayed acceptable reliability and internal consistency. Moreover, their relative rankings varied based on the participants’ roles and theoretical backgrounds. This study’s results indicate that the new instrument’s psychometric qualities are acceptable. It thus could be used to develop a new approach to psychotherapy training, as this study’s results regarding trainees’ needs underline the differences between trainees’ perceptions of those needs, as compared to trainers’ and psychotherapists’ perceptions.