Research on Deliberate Practice in Therapist Training and Clinical Supervision

Sentio University is the leading MFT program in California for research on Deliberate Practice in psychotherapy training and clinical supervision. Our faculty and leadership have authored more peer reviewed publications and training resources on Deliberate Practice than any other marriage and family therapy program in the country, and their work is shaping how therapists, supervisors, and clinical educators are trained at graduate programs across the United States, Europe, and beyond.

The research collected on this page represents the growing evidence base for Deliberate Practice as a method for developing clinical skill in psychotherapy, counseling, and related health professions. It includes studies authored by Sentio affiliated researchers as well as independent scholars from institutions around the world. We maintain and share this bibliography freely as part of our commitment to what we call a culture of radical transparency. Where most graduate programs keep their methods and materials behind closed doors, Sentio publishes its research, shares its training tools, and makes its clinical frameworks available to anyone in the field who wants to learn from them and build on them.

This page is one part of a much larger collection of free professional development resources that Sentio makes available to the global mental health community. Our Innovation Lab houses the full Sentio Supervision Model, webinars on Deliberate Practice across more than a dozen major therapy modalities, published articles on supervision methodology, and the Therapist Throwdown competition. Our Deliberate Practice Videos and Exercises page provides free clinical skill rehearsal materials, including standardized client video prompts and downloadable exercise instructions for common factor skills, multicultural orientation, and therapist inner skills. Our AI Research page documents Sentio's original studies on AI safety in mental health, with publications in The Lancet Psychiatry and Practice Innovations. These resources are actively used by training programs, individual clinicians, and supervisors around the world.

Sentio's leadership in Deliberate Practice research extends directly into how we train the next generation of supervisors and clinical educators. The DP Supervision Residency is an intensive, year long program that trains supervisors in Sentio's evidence based supervision model. Our Certification Courses in Deliberate Practice and AI in mental health provide structured professional development for practicing clinicians and faculty. The DP Consultation Group offers ongoing peer learning for therapists implementing Deliberate Practice in their own work. And the APA published "Essentials of Deliberate Practice" book series, edited by Sentio faculty, has become the standard training reference for the field, with volumes spanning therapy models from Schema Therapy to Dialectical Behavior Therapy to Emotionally Focused Couples Therapy. The full collection is available on our Books by Sentio page.

Students who enroll in Sentio's Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy do not just study this research from the outside. They learn directly from the scholars who produce it, train under supervisors who are developing and refining these methods in real time, and become part of a global community that is redefining how therapists are educated. To learn more about joining this community, attend an open house, request information, or visit our About page to read the story behind Sentio.

Following is a select list of writings and published studies on the use of Deliberate Practice for psychotherapy, counseling, and related fields. This list includes studies authored by researchers affiliated and unaffiliated with Sentio University.

Nissen-Lie, H. A. (2025). Deliberate Practice in Psychotherapy Supervision: A Promising Paradigm for Enhancing Clinical Effectiveness Even if We Still Have Puzzles to Solve. Journal of Clinical Psychology 0: 1– 9. https://doi.org/10.1002/jclp.70043.

Orlowski, E. W., Friedlander, M., & Moeyaert, M. (2025). Using deliberate practice for inner skills to enhance therapist In-session mindfulness and presence. Counselling Psychology Quarterly, 1–20. https://doi.org/10.1080/09515070.2025.2551710

Rousmaniere, T., & Vaz, A. (2025, March). Sentio’s clinic-to-classroom method: Bridging deliberate practice and clinical training. Psychotherapy Bulletin, 60(2).

Diamond, G., Wlodek, B., Arthey, S., & Parker, S. (2025). A systematic review of deliberate practice in psychotherapy: Definitions, operationalization, and preliminary outcomes. Psychotherapy. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1037/pst0000569

Rodriguez, A., MacLean, S., Hulet, H., Rizk, H., Hernandez, I., & Ogles, B. M. (2025). Deliberate practice for ethics training among novice undergraduates. Ethics & Behavior, 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1080/10508422.2025.2482983

Brand, J., Miller-Bottome, M., Vaz, A. and Rousmaniere, T. (2025), Deliberate Practice Supervision in Action: The Sentio Supervision Model. Journal of Clinical Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1002/jclp.23790

Vaz, A., McLeod, J. and 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

Husby, V.M. (2025), Challenge and Support: Scaffolding the Practicing Therapist in DP Supervision. Journal of Clinical Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1002/jclp.23774

Barata, M., Santos, J. M., Sousa, D., Silva, C., Alface, C., & Coelho, P. (2025). We are on the road to somewhere: How deliberate practice can enhance the path of continuing education in mental health. Practice Innovations. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1037/pri0000273

Olsson, M., Gustafsson, M., Carlsson, J., Rousmaniere, T., Bergbom, S., & Norberg, J. (2024). A pilot study of a deliberate practice intervention for therapist trainees. Nordic Psychology, 77(2), 165–184. https://doi.org/10.1080/19012276.2024.2313532

Jin, J., & Wang, D. (2024). Deliberate practice in spiritual and religious competencies for professional psychologists: An example of evidenced-based continuing education. Practice Innovations. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1037/pri0000264

Lagerberg, H. et al. (2024) Does Practice Make Perfect? The Effects of an Eight-Week Manualized Deliberate Practice Course With Peer Feedback on Patient-Rated Working Alliance in Adults: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial. Clinical Psychology in Europe, 2024, Vol. 6(3), Article e12353, https://doi.org/10.32872/cpe.12353

Ogles, B. M., Schramel, A., Schramel, C., Monson, C., Chugg, C., & Hansen, K. L. (2024). Training beginning therapists to respond to basic ethical situations in therapy: deliberate practice vs case discussion. Ethics & Behavior, 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1080/10508422.2024.2407871

Clements-Hickman, A. L., & Harris, K. R. (2024). Deliberate practice for psychotherapy skills: Recommendations and implications based on the state of the science. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1037/pro0000592

Nurse, K., O’Shea, M., & Sheen, J. (2024). Qualitative accounts from deliberate practice training for empathic communication among psychotherapy trainees. Counselling and Psychotherapy Research, 00, 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1002/capr.12761

Malins S, Boutry C, Moghaddam N., et al. Outcomes of psychological support skills training for cancer care staff: skill acquisition, work engagement, mental wellbeing and burnout. Psychooncology. 2023; 32(10): 1539-1547. https://doi.org/10.1002/pon.6200

Boutry C, Rathbone J, Gibbons F, Brooks D, Moghaddam N, Mays C, Patel P, Malins S. Experiences of deliberate practice orientated psychological skills training for cancer care staff: Barriers and facilitators to learning and implementation in practice. J Health Psychol. 2024 Apr;29(5):467-480. doi: 10.1177/13591053231210133. Epub 2023 Nov 14. PMID: 37961944; PMCID: PMC11005300.

Stige, S. H., Torrissen, M. H., Danielsen, Y. S., et al. (2024). Training students to become responsive therapists: Implications from a sequential mixed-methods study on situations that therapists find challenging. BMC Medical Education, 24, 261. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12909-024-05236-1

Mahon, D. (2024). 'Don't just magically assume you're going to get better as a therapist as time goes on': An exploration of the use of deliberate practice. Counselling and Psychotherapy Research. https://doi.org/10.1002/capr.12746

Nurse, K., O'Shea, M., Ling, M., Castle, N., & Sheen, J. (2024). The influence of deliberate practice on skill performance in therapeutic practice: A systematic review of early studies. Psychotherapy Research, 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1080/10503307.2024.2308159

Axelsson, S., Kihlberg, S., Davis, P., & Nyström, M. B. (2023). Psychotherapy students' experiences of supervisee-centred supervision based on deliberate practice, feedback-informed treatment and self-compassion. Counselling and Psychotherapy Research. https://doi.org/10.1002/capr.12708

Young, J., Schruff, M., Humphrey, C., & Pavlacic, J. M. (2023). Multiple-baseline design study of deliberate practice for learning psychotherapeutic techniques. Evidence-Based Practice in Child and Adolescent Mental Health. https://doi.org/10.1080/23794925.2023.2272949

Ogles, B. M., Hansen, K. L., & Erekson, D. M. (2023). Competence-based assessment and training for ethical situations in practice: A pilot study. Ethics & Behavior. https://doi.org/10.1080/10508422.2023.2263896

Larsson, J., Werthén, D., Carlsson, J., Salim, O., Davidsson, E., Vaz, A., Sousa, D., & Norberg, J. (2023). Does deliberate practice surpass didactic training in learning empathy skills? A randomized controlled study. Nordic Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1080/19012276.2023.2247572

Yamin, J. B., Cannoy, C. N., Gibbins, K. M., Krohner, S., Rapport, L. J., Trentacosta, C. J., Zeman, L. L., & Lumley, M. A. (2023). Experiential training of mental health graduate students in emotional processing skills: A randomized, controlled trial. Psychotherapy. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1037/pst0000495

Mahon, D. (2022). A scoping review of deliberate practice in the acquisition of therapeutic skills and practices. Counselling and Psychotherapy Research, 00, 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1002/capr.12601

Janse, P. D., Bakker-Brehm, D. T., Geurtzen, N., Scholing, A., & Hutschemaekers, G. J. (2022). Therapists' self-assessment of time spent on learning activities and its relationship to treatment outcomes: A replication study. Journal of Clinical Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1002/jclp.23459

Liu, N. H., & Herndon, J. L. (2022). A framework for culturally humble therapeutic responses using the deliberate practice multicultural orientation video prompts. Practice Innovations. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1037/pri0000177

Vaz, A., & Rousmaniere, T. (2022). Clarifying deliberate practice for mental health training. Seattle, WA: Sentio University. Retrieved from http://www.sentio.org

Newman, D. S., Villarreal, J. N., Gerrard, M. K., McIntire, H., Barrett, C. A., & Kaiser, L. T. (2022). Deliberate practice of consultation communication skills: A randomized controlled trial. School Psychology. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1037/spq0000494

McLeod, J. (2021). How students use deliberate practice during the first stage of counsellor training. Counselling and Psychotherapy Research, 00, 1–12. https://doi.org/10.1002/capr.12397

Westra, H., Norouszian, N., Poulin, L., Hara, K., Coyne, A., Constantino, M. J., Olson, D., & Antony, M. M. (in press). Testing a deliberate practice workshop for developing appropriate responsivity to resistance markers. Psychotherapy.

Clements-Hickman, A. L., & Reese, R. J. (2020). Improving therapists' effectiveness: Can deliberate practice help? Professional Psychology: Research and Practice. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1037/pro0000318

Di Bartolomeo, A., Shukla, S., Westra, H., Ghashghaei, N., & Olson, D. (2020). Rolling with resistance: A client language analysis of deliberate practice in continuing education for psychotherapists. Counselling and Psychotherapy Research, 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1002/capr.12335

Barrett-Naylor, R., Malins, S., Levene, J., Biswas, S., Mays, C., & Main, G. (2020). Brief training in psychological assessment and interventions skills for cancer care staff: A mixed methods evaluation of deliberate practice techniques. Psycho-Oncology. https://doi.org/10.1002/pon.5393

Li, J., Li, X., Gu, L., Zhang, R., Zhao, R., Cai, Q., Li, Y., Wang, H., Meng, Q., & Wei, H. (2019). Effects of simulation-based deliberate practice on nursing students' communication, empathy, and self-efficacy. The Journal of Nursing Education, 58(12), 681–689. https://doi.org/10.3928/01484834-20191120-02

Rosén, E. (2019). Learning how to learn: Psychology trainees' self-compassion while implementing deliberate practice, with FIT at a psychotherapy training clinic [Unpublished manuscript].

Perlman, M. R., Anderson, T., Foley, V. K., Mimnaugh, S., & Safran, J. D. (2020). The impact of alliance-focused and facilitative interpersonal relationship training on therapist skills: An RCT of brief training. Psychotherapy Research, 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1080/10503307.2020.1722862

Murphy, D., Liao, F., Slovak, P., et al. (2019). An evaluation of the effectiveness and acceptability of a new technology system to support psychotherapy helping skills training. Counselling and Psychotherapy Research, 20, 324–335. https://doi.org/10.1002/capr.12275

Anderson, T., Perlman, M. R., McCarrick, S., & McClintock, A. (2019). Modeling therapist responses with structured practice enhances facilitative interpersonal skills. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1002/jclp.22911

Hill, C. E., Kivlighan, D. M., Rousmaniere, T., Kivlighan, D. M., Gerstenblith, J. A., & Hillman, J. W. (2019). Deliberate practice for the skill of immediacy: A multiple case study of doctoral student therapists and clients. Psychotherapy (Chicago, Ill.). https://doi.org/10.1037/pst0000191

Goldberg, S. B., Babins-Wagner, R., Rousmaniere, T., Berzins, S., Hoyt, W. T., Whipple, J. L., ... & Wampold, B. E. (2016). Creating a climate for therapist improvement: A case study of an agency focused on outcomes and deliberate practice. Psychotherapy, 53(3), 367. https://doi.org/10.1037/pst0000085

Chow, D. L., Miller, S. D., Seidel, J. A., Kane, R. T., Thornton, J. A., & Andrews, W. P. (2015). The role of deliberate practice in the development of highly effective psychotherapists. Psychotherapy, 52(3), 337. https://doi.org/10.1037/pst0000015