IS IT TIME TO IMPROVE PSYCHOTHERAPY TRAINING

The practice of psychotherapy is a central activity for clinical psych ologists. Accordingly, psychotherapy training is a fundamental part of clinical training programs. Yet there is a paucity of empirical infor mation about the procedures and processes involved in psychotherapy tr aining, and empirical evidence for the effectiveness of current practi ces is practically nonexistent. The literature on empirical evaluation s of therapy training in general, and psychotherapy supervision in par ticular, is discussed. It is proposed that psychotherapy training can be improved by applying principles and methods from the area of the co gnitive sciences concerned with the development and nature of generic expertise. To illustrate this application, a new instructional format, ''anchored instruction,'' is discussed as a method for providing psyc hotherapy students with a more thorough comprehension of therapy theor ies, principles, and procedures than is attainable with current teachi ng methods.