ABSTRACT
We are highlighting here the importance of the psychotherapist having a good grounding in key concepts within the psychotherapeutic ®eld, informed by relevant literature and related research studies. Important also is the developing experience gained from client contact, the re¯ections that ensue from this, and the links made with personal psychotherapeutic experience and re¯ections in supervision. Surveying the clinical literature, relevant research and data derived from the identi®cation of relevant competencies, as well as drawing on our experience as trainers of psychotherapists, we highlight a number of key competencies that an integrative psychotherapist would possess and that would form a useful ground to thinking and practice. In summary, we would expect a quali®ed and experienced integrative psychotherapist to display the following:
· an ability to conduct appropriate psychological assessments based on good interpersonal capabilities and self management, a broad understanding of mental health, and an understanding of the concept of `duty of care'
· an ability to maintain appropriate boundaries and be clear about the limits of con®dentiality
· an ability to initiate, develop and maintain an effective therapeutic alliance
· the demonstration of an understanding of psychopathology and diagnostic systems
· a clear conceptualization of treatment planning, goals and relevant change processes in the context of lifespan development and related theories
· the demonstration of an ability to contract with the client on therapeutic goals, activities and outcomes
· understanding of relationship dynamics at multiple levels of exchange to include an appreciation and management of power dynamics
and psychoperspectives
· a capacity to attend to explicit and implicit communications and an ability to work with these
· understanding of the ways in which creativity and artistry may be utilized in the therapeutic process, either in an embodied way or through the use of language and metaphor
· sensitivity to attunement/misattunements and the ability to work with these
· the ability to work with an understanding of the self in its multiple facets
· understanding of the co-created nature of the therapeutic exchange
· the effective and creative use of the self of the therapist · the ability to respond to complex demands as required · a capacity to attend to psychosocial, cultural and con-
textual factors as appropriate, and to work with issues of difference and related power dynamics in a nondiscriminatory way
· a capacity to work towards self-understanding in the client and an increase of awareness in the client of options for change
· the ability to re¯ect on the appropriateness of interventions in line with the stage of treatment, clinical content and client feedback
· engagement in risk assessment and attention to safety as appropriate
· a capacity to attend to ethical and professional issues and the ability to work with these
· the use of appropriate professional support for the ongoing development of thinking and practice
· the ability to monitor and evaluate therapeutic practice with a view to evaluating quality and the improvement of service delivery
· a capacity to manage endings in the therapeutic process.
