Self-concept of relational skills in psychotherapy trainees: a pilot study

Background: Personal characteristics and relational skills represent central aspects of the psychotherapist's work, and yet, little is still known about them in the context of psychotherapy training. Objective: This paper presents a preliminary exploration of the self-concepts of relational skills in psychotherapy trainees. Changes in the self-concept in N = 131 psychotherapy trainees were explored through analysis of self-image ideal-self and self/ideal-self discrepancy in two stages (beginning vs. advanced). Method: Data were collected with a modified version of the self-rated instruments Trainee Background Information Form and Trainee Current Practice Report (Orlinsky et al., 2015), and analysed with analyses of covariances for each dependent variable. Results: Expected differences in the self-image of beginning versus advanced trainees were not detected. However, differences in trainees’ ideal-self and in self/ideal-self discrepancy were found. Some gender and age differences were also detected. Conclusions: The results suggest possible changes in the self-concept of relational skills, indicative of self-development processes such as discovering a realistic sense of self and self-boundaries, managing intensive emotional interactions and developing regulatory interpersonal mechanisms. An in-depth and more refined future exploration of various aspects of the self-concept in the context of psychotherapy training is needed to help understand the complex processes of forming an integrated self of psychotherapists.