Determining differences between therapists using an extended version of the facilitative interpersonal skills...

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Psychotherapy Research
• Clinical Psychology

Background:

• Therapist-facilitative interpersonal skills (FIS) are known predictors of therapy outcomes.
• Variability in therapist skills necessitates deeper insight into specific strengths and weaknesses.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate if a revised and extended FIS scoring system offers greater differentiation in measuring therapist interpersonal skills.
• To explore the existence of distinct therapist subgroups based on their interpersonal responses.

Main Methods:

• Secondary data analysis of 93 therapists exposed to seven FIS-clips.
• Comparison of therapist responses using original and extended FIS scoring systems.

Main Results:

• The extended FIS scoring identified three factors: supportive, expressive, and persuasive interpersonal responses.
• Latent profile analysis revealed six distinct subgroups of therapists based on their response patterns.

Conclusions:

• The revised and extended FIS scoring enhances the understanding of therapist interpersonal skills' role in therapy.
• This approach contributes to identifying specific therapist approaches that are effective for particular patient needs, addressing the 'what works for whom' question.