A scoping review of deliberate practice in therapy training

The study: A scoping review of 14 studies (from 1,087 records) on deliberate practice for learning therapeutic skills.

What they found: Deliberate practice is being used to teach a wide range of skills, in different training settings and increasingly through technology. It compared favourably with standard didactic workshops for learning techniques, communication skills and relationship factors. The author describes the research as still in its infancy and calls for replication.

Why it matters for practice: A useful map of where the field stood a few years ago, and of how varied deliberate practice looks in different programs.

Mahon, D. (2023). A scoping review of deliberate practice in the acquisition of therapeutic skills and practices. Counselling and Psychotherapy Research, 23(4), 965–981. https://doi.org/10.1002/capr.12601