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RETHINKING ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT TRAINEES'LIFE EXPERIENCE
Author(s) -
Lyman Bobbi J.,
Storm Cheryl L.,
York Charles D.
Publication year - 1995
Publication title -
journal of marital and family therapy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.868
H-Index - 68
eISSN - 1752-0606
pISSN - 0194-472X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1752-0606.1995.tb00153.x
Subject(s) - psychology , psychotherapist , outcome (game theory) , medical education , clinical psychology , medicine , mathematics , mathematical economics
A breadth of previous life experience in marriage and family therapy (MFT) trainees is viewed by many theoreticians, clinicians, and supervisors as a prerequisite for practicing MFT. This study assessed the relationship of trainees' life experiences and therapeutic outcome. We predicted that trainees with more life experience would have better therapeutic outcomes during the process of training than those with less experience. Surprisingly, the results indicated that trainees with greater life experience are not generally perceived by clients as more effective. This finding challenges us to rethink our assumptions about the role of life experience in selecting trainees.