Abstracts Category : Other

The Effect of Personal Therapy on Graduate Students of Clinical Psychology| A Quantitative Study on Self-Perceived Clinical Self-Efficacy and Other Psychodynamic Constructs

by Nicole Flowers

The literature was studied with a historical consideration to examine trends that began with analysts being required to undergo their own analysis, to modern day where a recommendation holds firm to suggest personal therapy for therapists, but is not always enforced. This study bridges the gap on a quantitative study on the effect of personal therapy on self-perceived clinical self-efficacy and other psychodynamic constructs. Self-perceived clinical self-efficacy, confidentiality and the importance of therapy in a clinical psychology graduate program were analyzed with respect to those participants in a clinical psychology program who had personal therapy and those who had not. Results showed that there was an overall benefit to personal therapy on clinical practice and that students believed that personal therapy should be part of clinical psychology programs. The data findings suggest that personal therapy is valuable for professional practice, that students believe it should be part of an academic program in clinical psychology, and that fears of confidentiality being breached are mostly unfounded.