Characteristics Of Master Therapists Essay Example

addition to an almost exclusive focus on the therapist's cognitive analysis. This study identifies key personality characteristics of peer-nominated master therapists rather than focusing on specific skills.The resulting key characteristics of master therapists appear not to be unique to a specific therapeutic orientation, but go beyond orientation, suggesting the involvement of constant engagement in improving skills, gaining new knowledge, and remaining open to experience and feedback from others.

This study provides further support for the notion that relationship skills and therapeutic alliance form the cornerstone for therapeutic excellence. Upon reading the title of this article, I was immediately drawn to reading it.Having wanted to be a therapist for many years as a result of my own life-experiences, I was attracted to the prospect of learning more about how to be “the best of the best” (Jennings and Skovholt, 1999, p. 4). The importance of a counselor being an example is essential as is the ability to build and maintain strong therapeutic relationships in the counseling setting.

A counselor’s capacity to empathize with a client plays a large role in such a relationship, potentially increasing sensitivity and compassion for clients through the counselor’s own emotional wounds.This characteristic of being able to feel the client’s pain is what lies behind my own desire to counsel. Past life-experiences have helped me to develop skills that, as stated by Jennings and Skovholt (1999) have “given [me] a head start on developing relational skills” even at a young age (p. 7).

I found it interesting, however, that only significantly experienced therapists were considered for the study.The cognitive abilities of a therapist do depend largely upon years of experience, and the

Bible supports this idea in 1 Corinthians 13:11 stating that we “put childish ways behind [us]” as we mature (NIV). However, 1 Timothy 4 also states that youth, or inexperience, should not restrict our ability to teach godliness and to “set an example in [life, love, faith, and purity]” (NIV). It would have been interesting to see the results of this study had it contrasted master therapists with neophyte therapists, and I plan to do further research on this topic.