Deliberate practice for the skill of immediacy: A multiple case study of doctoral student therapists and clients.

We examined the effects of deliberate practice training focused on immediacy (Im) for 7 doctoral student trainees. Training included an 8-hr workshop, 4 individual 50-min sessions, and 4 individual 30-min homework sessions. Qualitative results indicated that trainees found the deliberate practice training to be effective, especially in helping them become aware of and manage emotions and countertransference, which had inhibited them from using Im. In addition, there was a moderate and significant effect of training on the trainee's self-efficacy for using Im, a small and significant effect on therapist-rated working alliance, and no significant effect for client-rated working alliance. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).