Skip to main content
Log in

Years of Clinical Experience and Therapist Professional Development: A Literature Review

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Journal of Contemporary Psychotherapy Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to review the effect of years of clinical experience on aspects of therapist professional development. Themes within this specific literature were determined inductively as part of an all-inclusive review. Years of clinical experience were found to be positively associated with increased confidence and perceived mastery in clinical ability, increased flexibility in professional identity and therapeutic orientation, reduced stress and anxiety in clinical practice, and improvements in clinical judgment and decision-making. Although years of experience were found to relate to increased therapist focus on the therapeutic relationship, evidence does not suggest that it is associated with improved ability to increase its quality. It is unclear how years of clinical experience affect therapist usage of and attitude towards evidence supported treatments and evidence based practice given the interference of age cohort effects. This literature is limited by overly-proportionate psychodynamic samples and the use of primarily cross-sectional designs.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Ackerman, S. J., & Hilsenroth, M. J. (2003). A review of therapist characteristics and techniques positively impacting the therapeutic alliance. Clinical Psychology Review, 23, 1–33. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0272-7358(02)00146-0.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • APA Presidential Task Force on Evidence-Based Practice. (2006). Evidence-based practice in psychology. American Psychologist, 61, 271–285.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bearman, S. K., Weisz, J. R., Chorpita, B. F., Hoagwood, K., Ward, A., Ugueto, A. M., et al. (2013). More practice, less preach? The role of supervision processes and therapist characteristics in EBP implementation. Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research, 40, 518–529. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10488-013-0485-5.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Bennett-Levy, J. (2006). Therapist skills: A cognitive model of their acquisition and refinement. Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy, 34, 57–78. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1352465805002420.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3, 77–101.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Brookman-Frazee, L., Garland, A. F., Taylor, R., & Zoffness, R. (2009). Therapists’ attitudes towards psychotherapeutic strategies in community-based psychotherapy with children with disruptive behavior problems. Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research, 36, 1–12.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Chambless, D. L., & Hollon, S. D. (1998). Defining empirically supported therapies. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 66, 7–18.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Chow, D. L., Miller, S. D., Seidel, J. A., Kane, R. T., Thornton, J. A., & Andrews, W. P. (2015). The role of deliberate practice in the development of highly effective psychotherapists. Psychotherapy, 52, 337–345.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Dunkle, J. H., & Friedlander, M. L. (1996). Contribution of therapist experience and personal characteristics to the working alliance. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 43, 456–460. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0167.43.4.456.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Eells, T. D., Lombart, K. G., Kendjelic, E. M., Turner, L. C., & Lucas, C. P. (2005). The quality of psychotherapy case formulations: A comparison of expert, experienced, and novice cognitive-behavioral and psychodynamic therapists. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 73, 579–589. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-006X.73.4.579.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Gelso, C. J., Kelley, F. A., Fuertes, J. N., Marmarosh, C., Holmes, S. E., Costa, C., et al. (2005). Measuring the real relationship in psychotherapy: Initial validation of the therapist form. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 52, 640–649. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0167.52.4.640.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Glidewell, J. C., & Livert, D. E. (1992). Confidence in the practice of clinical psychology. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 23, 362–368.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Granello, D. H. (2010). Cognitive complexity among practicing counselors: How thinking changes with experience. Journal of Counseling and Development, 88, 92–100.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hellman, I. D., Morrison, T. L., & Abramowitz, S. I. (1987). Therapist experience and the stresses of psychotherapeutic work. Psychotherapy: Theory, Research, Practice, Training, 24, 171–177.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hersoug, A. G., Hoglend, P., Monsen, J. I., & Havik, O. E. (2001). Quality of working alliance in psychotherapy: Therapist variable and patient/therapist similarity as predictors. The Journal of Psychotherapy Practice and Research, 10, 205–216.

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Jofen-Miller, S., & Fiori, K. L. (2017). The impact of psychotherapist training and experience on posttermination contact. Psychotherapy, 54, 114–122. https://doi.org/10.1037/pst0000105.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kivlighan, D. M. Jr., & Quigley, S. T. (1991). Dimensions used by experienced and novice group therapists to conceptualize group process. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 38, 415–423.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Kolb, D. A. (2014). Experiential learning: Experience as the source of learning and development. New Jersey: Pearson.

    Google Scholar 

  • Leichsenring, F., & Rabung, S. (2008). Effectiveness of long-term psychodynamic psychotherapy: A meta-analysis. Journal of the American Medical Association, 300, 1551–1565.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Leon, S. C., Martinovich, Z., Lutz, W., & Lyons, J. S. (2005). The effect of therapist experience on psychotherapy outcomes. Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy, 12, 417–426.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Locke, T. F., & Covell, A. J. (1997). Characterizing expert psychologist behavior: Implications from selected expertise literature. Educational Psychology Review, 9, 239–249.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mallinckrodt, B., & Nelson, M. L. (1991). Counselor training level and the formation of the psychotherapeutic working alliance. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 38, 133–138. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0167.38.2.133.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Martin, J., Slemon, A. G., Hiebert, B., Hallberg, E. T., & Cummings, A. L. (1989). Conceptualizations of novice and experienced counselors. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 36, 395–400.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Okiishi, J. C., Lambert, M. J., Eggett, D., Nielsen, L., Dayton, D. D., & Vermeersch, D. A. (2006). An analysis of therapist treatment effects: Toward providing feedback to individual therapists on their clients’ psychotherapy outcome. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 62, 1157–1172.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Orlinsky, D., Rønnestad, M. H., Ambühl, H., Willutzki, U., Botersman, J.-F., Cierpka, M., et al. (1999). Psychotherapists’ assessments of their development at different career levels. Psychotherapy: Theory, Research, Practice, Training, 36, 203–215.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Orlinsky, D. E., Botermans, J. F., & Rønnestad, M. H. (2001). Towards an empirically grounded model of psychotherapy training: Four thousand therapists rate influences on their development. Australian Psychologist, 36, 139–148.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Overholser, J. C. (2010). Clinical expertise: A preliminary attempt to clarify its core elements. Journal of Contemporary Psychotherapy, 40, 131–139.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rønnestad, M. H., & Skovholt, T. M. (2003). The journey of the counselor and therapist: Research findings and perspectives on professional development. Journal of Career Development, 30, 5–44.

    Google Scholar 

  • Spengler, P. M., White, M. J., Aegisdottir, S., Maugherman, A. S., Anderson, L. A., Cook, R. S., et al. (2007). The meta-analysis of clinical judgment project: Effects of experience on judgment accuracy. The Counseling Psychologist, 37, 350–399. https://doi.org/10.1177/0011000006295149.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Stewart, R. E., Chambless, D. L., & Baron, J. (2012). Theoretical and practical barriers to practitioners’ willingness to seek training in empirically supported treatments. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 68, 8–23. https://doi.org/10.1002/jclp.20832.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Tracey, T. J., & Kokotovic, A. M. (1989). Factor structure of the working alliance inventory. Psychological Assessment: A Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 1, 207–210.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Glen C. Dawson.

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest

The author declares that he has no conflict of interest.

Ethical approval

This article does not contain any studies with human participants or animals performed by the author.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Dawson, G.C. Years of Clinical Experience and Therapist Professional Development: A Literature Review. J Contemp Psychother 48, 89–97 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10879-017-9373-8

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10879-017-9373-8

Keywords

Navigation