Master Therapists’ Construction of the Therapy Relationship

Qualitative research methods were used to elicit master therapists' statements regarding their use and understanding of the therapy relationship. The master therapists were identified and recruited in a previous study (Jennings & Skovholt, 1999) through a procedure used to create a sample of information-rich cases. The result of the analysis is a Model of Relationship Stances. The Safe Relationship Domain is composed of three categories of therapist actions: Responding, Collaborating, and Joining. The Challenging Relationship Domain also is composed of three categories of therapist actions: Using Self, Engaging, and Objectivity. The domains and categories are conceptualized as relationship stances utilized by the master therapists to meet individual client needs.

The Cognitive Emotional, and Relational Characteristics of Master Therapists

Cognitive, emotional, and relational characteristics among 10 peer-nominated master therapists were identified through qualitative research methods. Results suggest that master therapists (a) are voracious learners; (b) draw heavily on accumulated experiences; (c) value cognitive complexity and ambiguity; (d) are emotionally receptive; (e) are mentally healthy and mature and attend to their own emotional well-being; (f) are aware of how their emotional health impacts their work; (g) possess strong relationship skills; (h) believe in the working alliance; and (i) are experts at using their exceptional relational skills in therapy. These findings suggest that researchers studying therapist expertise may want to explore emotional and relational characteristics in addition to an almost exclusive focus on the therapist's cognitive attributes.

Portrait of the Master Therapist: Developmental Model of the Highly Functioning Self

Skovholt, Jennings, and Mullenbach summarize and integrate data from all four qualitative studies and offer pathways to expertise taken by the ten master therapists, culminating with a portrait of the master therapist. The portrait includes central characteristics, paradoxical characteristics, eight overall themes, and a major expansion of the Cognitive, Emotional, and Relational (CER) Model of Master Therapists.

Ethical Values of Master Therapists

This chapter presents a study in which the authors employed Consensual Qualitative Research (CQR) methods (Hill, Thompson, & Williams,1997) to reanalyze interview data from a previous qualitative study of the personal characteristics of master therapists (Jennings & Skovholt, 1999). The purpose of the study was to better understand the ethical values of therapists considered to be “the best of the best” by their professional colleagues. Previous research has demonstrated that therapists utilize a variety of resources when making ethical decisions, including professional codes of conduct and their own values. The current study’s analysis of 10 master therapists’ interviews resulted in the identification of nine ethical values related to their clinical practice: (a) relational connection, (b) autonomy, (c) beneficence, (d) nonmaleficence, (e) competence, (f) humility, (g) professional growth, (h) openness to complexity and ambiguity, and (i) self-awareness. It is hoped that these findings will help to illuminate the ethical values that these master therapists draw upon in their work.

Emotional Wellness and Professional Resiliency of Master Therapists

Nine psychotherapists previously identified as master therapists through a peer nomination process participated in qualitative interviews. Interview questions were designed to elicit information pertaining to emotional wellness and professional resiliency. Each interview was audiotaped and transcribed. A qualitative analysis of the transcripts was completed and salient characteristics were identified. Relevant transcribed statements from the initial study were re-analyzed for this group. A second interview was completed with each psychotherapist to validate the accuracy of the findings. The results indicated that these master therapists have sought out supportive experiences throughout their training phase and professional careers. They have developed effective coping skills and are experts in their ability to create a positive work environment, manage professional stressors, and nurture self through a balance of solitude and relationships. Additional protective factors included proactive problem-solving, ongoing learning, and maintenance of a diversified practice.

Expertise in Therapy and Counseling

In chapter two, Skovholt, Hanson, Jennings, and Grier summarize the literature on the prevailing view of expertise in therapy and counseling. The authors explore whether it is possible to achieve expertise in such an “ill-structured” field with its ambiguous and subjective interpretations. The authors review studies that provide some evidence for counseling expertise and make the case for a comprehensive examination of therapists considered to be the “best of the best” by their professional colleagues.

A Brief History of Expertise

The study of expertise has a long and textured history, and it continues to be an active area of research among researchers and practitioners interested in human performance, giftedness, and achievement. In this chapter, Skovholt, Hanson, Jennings and Grier examine the broad and complicated topic of expertise.