ABSTRACT
Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) is an evidence-based practice for suicidal and self-injuring behavior with growing popularity in college counseling centers (CCCs). With the exception of a single, quantitative study, no research to date investigates how DBT is used in CCCs or what factors influence program implementation. We conducted qualitative interviews with 15 CCC staff that were delivering DBT programs in order to inform a more richly detailed understanding of the process of developing and implementing a DBT program housed in a CCC.
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: The primary objective of this study is to engender an understanding of how therapists-in-training experience and cope with self-criticism in the context of their clinical training and therapy experiences. METHOD: In this study, trainees were interviewed about their experience of self-criticism related to psychotherapy practice and these interviews were subjected to a grounded theory analysis generating a core self-critical process. RESULTS: The analysis highlighted the vulnerability of self-criticism in therapists' training experiences, especially when they related to balancing the "expert" role while maintaining authentic interactions with their clients. The results also described ways in which self-criticism is mitigated by a sense of interpersonal safety and the provision of clinical freedom and flexibility in therapists' training. CONCLUSIONS: The implications for future psychotherapy research and clinical training within clinical training environments are discussed.
