This past weekend I submitted the final structured element of my Professional Doctorate in Health via a research paper titled Minding the Gaps in Professional Practice: A Best Fit Framework Synthesis of Adverse Client Experiences in Psychotherapy.
The paper examines what the published literature, alongside reflexive analysis of 16 years directing a psychotherapy centre, can tell us about clients’ adverse experiences of therapy, and what the profession can do about them.
The findings are mapped against the SCoPED competency framework and point to three recurring themes across both published literature and reflexive analysis:
-Therapist overconfidence
-The need for therapist flexibility in therapeutic approach
-Adequate assessment of interpersonal fit between therapist and client alongside sufficient grasp of client concerns
These aren’t abstract concepts but observable, correctable patterns that show up in everyday practice. Most adverse experiences in psychotherapy never reach a formal complaint, even when they are likely to be upheld. Despite this, adverse therapy experiences are damaging to the profession and potentially to the client. The gap between what clients experience and what makes up therapists’ professional development is where quality improvement can happen, making therapy safer and more effective.
I’ll be sharing more about the findings over the coming months, with a view to developing a professional workshop for therapists and service directors. If this resonates with your work — whether you’re a practitioner, a supervisor, or leading a service — I’d love to connect.
#Psychotherapy #Counselling #UKCP #BACP #NCPS #QualityImprovement #ProfessionalDevelopment #SCoPED #MentalHealth #CPD
Department for Health @ University of Bath
University of Bath
Mind Garden Therapy