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כשקולות מהדהדים ביחד |
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New and old directions of continuing education for psychotherapistsUdi Bonshtein, PhD. Child & Family Guidance Unit, Western Galilee Hospital, Nahariya, Israel and The psychotherapy study program, Zefat, Israel From: Bonshtein, U. (2009).
New and old directions of continuing education for professionals in
psychotherapy. AbstractThe field of psychotherapy is constantly engaged in continuing education, and it would seem that psychotherapists are among the most educated professionals. What makes continuing education so popular among psychotherapists? Is this field different from others that might benefit from continued study? What are the underlying needs of psychotherapists for continuing education, if any? What are the costs and benefits of the apriori assumption that learning more leads to greater therapeutic effectiveness? Can we prove that such a correlation actually exists? The most popular methods professionals use to enhance their skills and knowledge are supervision (mainly individual), reading professional literature, attending professional conferences, taking domain-specific courses and psychotherapy programs, and engaging in computer-based learning (virtual communities, online peer groups, online courses, etc.). This paper presents some attitudes toward continuing education in field of psychotherapy, discussing ways of increasing professionals' motivation to participate in it routinely. The paper demonstrates the current status of continuing education worldwide and in professions other than psychotherapy as well. I discuss the specific needs of psychotherapists and applications of continuing education in psychotherapy in a rapidly changing situation, as found in a survey of health care professionals in Israel. Finally, I discuss the potential of internet-based education as one of the great advantages of new technology, as well as the advantages and limitations of this form of education for psychotherapy.
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