Self Development Competency

Living Institute

Self Development Review (SDR)

Overview of Self Development

For any depth psychotherapy training there are three areas of focus – theoretical knowledge, clinical skills and personal development. In the College of Regulated Psychotherapists of Ontario (CRPO), the personal development of a Registered Psychotherapist in the delivery of psychotherapy is reflected in the term “safe and effective use of self” (SEUS).

In the Living Institute Existential-Integrative Psychotherapy Diploma (LIEIPD), training toward meeting competency guidelines for SEUS is referred to as ‘self development’. The main vehicle for this is in personal psychotherapy or counselling, but self development is also cultivated in other aspects of training, including class discussion, experiential learning, course content and later in clinical supervision and client contact.

The Living Institute calls upon students to develop themselves in ways that are required in the psychodynamic, humanistic, existential, transpersonal, somatic and archetypal modalities as integrated into Existential-Integrative Psychotherapy. This review will map their development of the CRPO competencies as interpreted with the LIEIPD modality.

This is a tool for reflection, ongoing exploration and discussion of your self development during training. It does not result in a grade.

Registration Regulation Provision 5(1)1 includes the statement: The Registration Committee or a body approved by the Registration Committee shall not recognize a program unless one of its core competencies is to develop competency in the safe and effective use of self in the psychotherapeutic relationship.

Explanation: One of the defining competencies of practising psychotherapy: the therapist’s learned capacity to understand his or her own subjective context and patterns of interaction as they inform his or her participation in the therapeutic relationship with the client. It also speaks to the therapist’s self-reflective use of his or her personality, insights, perceptions and judgements in order to optimize interactions with clients in the therapeutic process.

Rationale: Psychotherapy is delivered through a client-therapist relationship. The psychotherapeutic relationship is a powerful and a demanding one. A Registered Psychotherapist must have specific training, congruent with his or her mode(s) of clinical practise, in how to enter that relationship and how to employ him/herself as a tool of the therapy both safely and effectively.

The Self Development Review is a two-step process. (1) Faculty providing therapy or counselling in the LIEIPD program will fill this review out in conversation with students and interns. (Individual therapist session fee applies).

(2) Students and interns will bring this review to a meeting with the Clinical Director (who is responsible for overseeing SDR) to discuss. Fee $100.

Assessment of Self Development

Assessment in the area of self development raises complex issues that include the question of confidentiality and the intrusion of an external body (the school) into what is usually considered a very personal subject, where confidentiality is important. It must, however, be recognized that counselling or therapy in the context of a psychotherapy training program is different from other forms of psychotherapy. In regular psychotherapy, for example, when a client wishes to terminate therapy that is their free choice. Not so as part of psychotherapy training programs. It is a requirement of this program, as in other depth psychotherapy training programs that students continue in psychotherapy till they graduate. There is also a specific, programmatic purpose to self development, which is to produce graduates who are competent in the ‘safe and effective use of self’ and related competencies, thereby qualifying graduates for CRPO registration.

This review is a means of assessing student progress in developing the CRPO competencies that may be considered to be demonstrated in the self development process. The balancing of the principles of confidentiality with the program’s need-to-know for assessment and training purposes, is a challenge that the Living Institute takes very seriously. By mapping your development against the grid of the competencies, confidentiality is preserved. You are not required to discuss sensitive person issues with the Clinical Director which remain confidential within therapy and counselling.

The assessment process includes an annual meeting with the Clinical Director where the Self Development Review will be discussed. This annual review meeting will allow student progress to be monitored so that appropriate adjustments can be made in their participation in the Self Development process. This is also a way of keeping track of the efficacy of the Self Development Program itself. It is presumed that students will enter into this review process with transparency and cooperation. It is expected that the Institute faculty will bring a spirit of dialogue and respect.

Some things that are difficult and fundamental may need to be brought to the Clinical Director’s attention as part of a progress report, even though they are sensitive and revealing. For example: student not in compliance with ethical guidelines of the school; student not participating appropriately in the program’s self development process; student’s ability to participate in the program is seriously compromised; student is a danger to themselves or others in the context of the program. Issues such as these will be addressed in the solution-focused spirit of ongoing education, recommendations and professional development.

Appeal Process

Any student questions or concerns regarding an assessment or recommendation will be addressed with the therapist/counselor and student immediately involved, and secondly with the Clinical Director if need be. There will also be an appeal procedure available for students with any persistent disagreement with the school in this area of assessment and facilitation of self development. Appeals will be heard by the Self Development Appeals Committee. Processes as defined in the Student Program Handbook.

This review is a two step process. (1) Therapists and counsellors providing therapy or counselling in the LIEIPD program will fill this review out in conversation with students and interns. (Individual therapist fee). (2) Students and interns will bring this review to a meeting with the Clinical Director to discuss. Fee $100.

Living Institute Self Development Competencies Basic Profile

The Living Institute Self Development Competency Basic Profile is adapted from the College Entry to Practice Competencies for Registered Psychotherapists with some grammatical modifications. Many points refer specifically to awareness as a therapist with a client. Students who are not yet in their internship can imagine this in terms of their relationship with other students and faculty as reflected in class discussion and experiential work. The faculty gives feedback, where they may consider a student’s sense of competency either too low or too high in the student’s self-assessment. In cases of disagreement, the faculty rating has precedence after appropriate discussion. The numbering of the College original is maintained so as to make reference easier.

Rating

Please rate the achievement of the itemized competency by rating on a scale of 1 – 5 where 1 represents inadequate achievement and 5 represents highly achieved competency. This does not result in a grade but only a scaling reference so that students can, for instance, reflect and track their progress over years with these competencies.

Background

The competencies are clustered into five areas:

●Area 1: Foundations

●Area 2: Collegial & Interprofessional Relationships

● Area 3: Professional Responsibilities

●Area 4: Therapeutic Process

●Area 5: Professional Literature & Applied Research

Living Institute Basic Self Development Competencies Check List

In order to graduate with an Existential-Integrative Psychotherapy Diploma, a student must be able to show the following self development based competencies. Please rate 1 (low) to 5 (high).

Area 1. Foundations

1.4 Integrate awareness of self in relation to professional role.

a Integrate knowledge of the impact of yourself on others. ___

b Recognize how your values and attitudes, both in and out of awareness, may impact others. ___

c Recognize the cognitive, emotional and behavioural patterns that may influence others. ___

d Recognize instances where your life experiences may enhance or compromise communication. ___

Area 2. Collegial & Interprofessional Relationships

2.1 Use effective professional communication.

d Communicate in a manner appropriate to the recipient. ___

e Use effective listening skills. ___

f Differentiate fact from opinion. ___

g Recognize and respond appropriately to non-verbal communication. ___

2.2 Maintain effective relationships.

a Show respect to others. ___

b Maintain appropriate boundaries. ___

c Recognize and address conflict in a constructive manner. ___

d Demonstrate personal integrity. ___

2.3 Contribute to a collaborative and productive atmosphere.

a Create and sustain relationships with others. ___

b Work effectively with others of diverse socio-cultural identities. ___

Area 3. Professional Responsibilities

3.2 Apply an ethical decision making process.

a Recognize ethical issues. ___

b Resolve ethical dilemmas in a mature manner. ___

c Accept responsibility for course of action taken. ___

3.3 Maintain self care and level of health necessary for responsible therapy.

a Maintain personal physical, psychological, cognitive and emotional fitness. ___

b Build and use a personal and professional support network. ___

c Maintain personal hygiene and appropriate presentation. ___

3.4 Evaluate and enhance professional practice.

a Undertake critical self-reflection. ___

d Obtain feedback from peers and supervisors. ___

e Identify strengths and areas for development. ___

f Set goals for improvement. ___

g Modify behaviour to enhance effectiveness. ___

Area 4. Therapeutic Process

4.2 Establish and maintain core conditions for therapy.

a Employ empathy, respect, and authenticity. ___

b Engage in rapport. ___

e Assume non-judgmental stance. ___

h Maintain appropriate boundaries. ___

i Define clear boundaries of response to requests or demands. ___

k Employ effective skills in observation of self. ___

l Demonstrate dependability. ___

4.3 Ensure safe and effective use of self.

a Demonstrate awareness of the impact of your subjective context in interactions. ___

b Recognize the impact of power dynamics within interactions. ___

c Protect others from imposition of your personal issues, while recognizing the psychodynamic inevitability of there being some impact and taking action to address this appropriately. ___

d Employ effective and congruent verbal and non-verbal communication. ___

e Use self-disclosure appropriately. ___

4.5 Structure and facilitate the therapeutic process.

a Communicate in a manner appropriate to others’ developmental level and socio-cultural identity. ___

b Identify and respond appropriately to others strengths, vulnerabilities, resilience and resources. ___

c Respond appropriately to anger, hostility and criticism. ___

d Respond appropriately to expressions of inappropriate attachment. ___

e Anticipate and respond appropriately to the expression of intense emotions and work to understand and manage them. ___

k l Demonstrate an appropriate commitment to self development. ___

n Explore a range of emotions. ___

q Recognize the significance of both action and inaction. ___

Date: ______

Self Development faculty: ______

S/D faculty email address: ______

Student Name: ______

Year : 1 2 3 Internship

Date entered LI program: ______

Frequency of self development sessions (weekly, biweekly, individual, group) ______

Any significant gaps in self development process? ______Reason? ______

Sign off by Clinical Director: ______

Date: ______

Dates of self development sessions:

2015:

January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December

2016:

January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December

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