Peer counselling versus role-playing: Two training methods of therapeutic skills in clinical psychology

• Published in: Psicothema Vol. 30; no. 1; p. 21
• Main Authors: Rodriguez, Jose Ruiz, Lopez, Arturo Bados, Escolano, Adela Fuste, Garcia-Grau, Eugeni, Garcia, Carmina Saldana, Fort, Gemma Balaguer, Lluch, Teresa, Pros, Mar Arcos
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Spanish
• Published: Colegio Oficial De Psicologos Del Principado De Asturias 01-01-2018
• Subjects: España
• ISSN: 0214-9915
• DOI: 10.7334/psicothema2016.286

Background: Training programmes for clinical psychologists should include evidence-based teaching methods that enable trainees to learn therapeutic skills. Here we compared the perceived utility of role-playing vs. peer counselling. In peer counselling, one student recounts a personal experience to the other, who thus has the opportunity to act as the therapist in relation to a real situation. Given that sharing such personal experiences may provoke discomfort in students, we also examined this aspect. Method: Trainees (n=202) were given both role-play and peer counselling activities as a way of practising empathy and active listening. After completing the skills training programme they completed a questionnaire to assess the extent to which each method had helped them to develop their self-awareness and to acquire these therapeutic skills. Results: In general, peer counselling was considered more useful than role-playing for enhancing self-awareness and personal growth, as well as for learning these professional skills. Regarding the discomfort experienced by students, our data suggest that any initial reluctance to share personal experiences is outweighed by the personal and professional benefits obtained. Conclusions: Our results indicate that experiential learning involving emotionally charged situations is an effective way of teaching therapeutic skills to clinical and health psychology trainees. Keywords: Therapeutic skills, empathy training, active listening, peer counselling, role-playing. Peer counselling versus role-playing: dos metodos de entrenamiento de habilidades terapeuticas en Psicologia Clinica. Antecedentes: los programas de formacion para psicologos clinicos deben contar con metodos docentes, empiricamente validados, que permitan aprender y practicar las habilidades terapeuticas. En este trabajo se compare la utilidad percibida del role playing vs peer counselling. En el peer counselling, el alumno que hace de cliente relata una experiencia personal, y el que hace de terapeuta tiene la oportunidad de trabajar con material real. Dado que el intercambio de experiencias personales puede provocar incomodidad, tambien analizamos este aspecto. Metodo: 202 alumnos ejecutaron diversos role playings y peer counsellings para entrenar empatia y escucha activa. Despues de finalizar el programa de entrenamiento completaron un cuestionario para evaluar el grado de utilidad de cada ejercicio para desarrollar su autoconocimiento y para adquirir estas habilidades. Resultados: en general, el peer counselling se considero mas util que role playing para mejorar el autoconocimiento, asi como para el aprendizaje de estas habilidades. En cuanto a la incomodidad experimentada por los estudiantes, nuestros datos sugieren que cualquier reticencia inicial para compartir experiencias personales se ve compensado por los beneficios personales y profesionales obtenidos. Conclusiones: nuestros datos indican que el aprendizaje experiencial con carga emocional es una forma efectiva de ensenar habilidades terapeuticas en psicologia sanitaria. Palabras clave: habilidades terapeuticas, entrenamiento en empatia, escucha activa, peer counselling, role-playing.