Len Sperry: Core Competencies in Counseling and Psychotherapy: Becoming a Highly Competent and Effective Therapist

As Sperry appropriately notes in his preface, competency is the hot new area in training in psychotherapy. It is not simply a new term for an old idea, but one that places the emphasis on what the student learns rather than on what is taught. It presents a challenge for an author, who is attempting to teach through the written word, but has no ability to assess the impact of the teachings. This is a task for the professor and the supervisor who choose to use a book designed to follow the competency rubric. Competency is defined as ‘‘The capacity to integrate knowledge, skills, and attitudes reflected in the quality of clinical practice that benefits others, which can be evaluated by professional standards and developed and enhanced through professional training and reflection’’ (p. 7). A book easily can deal with the knowledge component, can begin to address the attitudinal component, and cannot impact the skill component directly. This book in particular focuses on knowledge and alludes to attitude, but does not, as it cannot, deal with skills. However, the areas discussed are those where necessary skills lie, and the knowledge and attitudes are necessary foundations for the sound development of skills. Each of the core competencies is presented, beginning with conceptual foundations (theories) and moving on to the therapeutic relationship, perhaps the most essential of the competencies in light of research evidence (Lambert and Ogles 2004). This is followed by more specific competencies such as intervention planning, intervention implementation, and implementation evaluation and treatment. Finally, ethical and cultural competencies also are addressed. Each chapter follows a similar outline. The competency is described and then elaborated upon from the standpoint of psychodynamic, cognitive-behavioral, and systems approaches. Occasionally there is an attempt to include integrative approaches as well, but this is rather weak and does not call upon the growing literature in psychotherapy integration (e.g., Stricker 2010). Research, where available and relevant, is included, and the chapters conclude with a continuing case meant to illustrate the competency. In the preface, Sperry indicates that the book is intended for both the novice and the experienced clinician. This is an almost impossible task unless the work presents material unfamiliar to both, and that is not the case for these basic skills. I found some of the material far too remedial to be of use to the experienced clinician, but at the same time too densely packed to be of use to a novice. This was particularly true in the initial and general chapters. If I were to use the book in a class, I would see it as an useful outline that described what I should be sure to present to the students, using supplementary readings and lectures. As the book moved into the more specific competencies, I found the chapters to be good summaries for the experienced clinician, and probably still too brief for teaching purposes without supplementation. The last chapters, covering ethical and cultural dimensions, were much closer to the ideal, seeming useful both to the experienced and the novice reader, and much better for teaching in and of themselves. I was particularly pleased with the obvious sophistication of the author in each of the three major schools of psychotherapy that were covered. It isn’t often that someone seems equally conversant in psychodynamic, cognitive-behavioral, and systemic approaches to psychotherapy, and especially rare for the same person to be able to incorporate research in a relevant fashion. Perhaps for this G. Stricker (&) Argosy University, Washington DC, 1550 Wilson Boulevard, Ste. 600, Arlington, VA 22209, USA e-mail: geostricker@gmail.com