Events and experiences impacting the development of clinical self confidence: a study of the first year of client contact.
Research was conducted to identify the events and experiences influencing the development of clinical self-confidence during the first year of client contact for beginning marriage and family therapists. Thirty-nine recent graduates of a master's degree training program participated in a semistructured interview in which they were asked to describe the influences on their clinical self-confidence. Through qualitative analysis, four event and experience categories emerged as exerting the most influence on confidence at this stage of professional development: supervision, contact with clients, contact with peers, and personal life stress. The authors recommend providing strength-focused supervision, acknowledging the effects of client contact, encouraging peer contact, and attending to personal life stress.
School of Education, University of San Diego, USA. rbischoff2@unl.edu
Richard J
RJ
Bischoff
Marci
M
Barton
Jody
J
Thober
Rachel
R
Hawley
D000328:Adult; D002983:Clinical Competence; D005196:Family Therapy / Q000592:standards*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008388:Marital Therapy / Q000592:standards*; D008875:Middle Aged; D020377:Self Efficacy