Pilot evaluation of the impacts of a personal practice informed undergraduate psychotherapy curriculum on student learning and wellbeing

Objectives: Addressing the challenges of teaching psychotherapy experientially in large undergraduate classes, this study evaluated a personal practice psychotherapy curriculum. A novel element of the third-year university psychotherapy course was the reflective self-practice psychotherapy techniques. Method: Primary outcomes were reflective learning, self-awareness, mental help-seeking, self-care, and wellbeing. Secondary outcomes were self-practice and psychological flexibility. One hundred and nineteen undergraduate psychology students completed an online survey at the start and end of a semester. Fifty-four students were enrolled in the psychotherapy course, and 65 students not enrolled in the course constituted the comparison group. Psychotherapy students also completed an end-of-course feedback survey. Results: Relative to the comparison group, psychotherapy students improved on all primary and secondary outcomes. Self-practice and psychological flexibility mediated improvements on primary outcomes. Students reported integrating psychotherapy strategies acquired through self-practice exercises into daily-living. Feedback indicated personal practice fostered: personal development, self-care, learning psychotherapies, managing stress, and career enhancement. Conclusion: These preliminary findings support a personal practice-informed undergraduate psychotherapy curriculum.