Rethinking supervision: the case for deliberate practice

The study: A conceptual paper introducing a Journal of Clinical Psychology special issue on deliberate practice in supervision.

What they found: Research on traditional supervision has produced mixed results, and it is unclear whether it reliably makes therapists more effective. The authors set out definitions, current evidence, benefits and challenges of deliberate practice in supervision, and conclude the research is promising but not yet enough to call it evidence-based.

Why it matters for practice: A good starting point for supervisors who want to understand what deliberate practice supervision is and where the evidence stands.

Vaz, A., McLeod, J., & Nissen-Lie, H. A. (2025). Rethinking psychotherapy training and supervision: The case for deliberate practice. Journal of Clinical Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1002/jclp.23777