Another example is ISPA in Portugal, who have created a post graduate training program based on deliberate practice. The therapists in training will use outcome data, skills rehearsal, and individualized DP supervision to foster their development. ISPA is also engaged in DP research. This impressive rig is the creation of Professor Daniel Sousa, clinical psychologist Inês Amaro and their team who for many years has worked with Alex Vaz (PhD), founding member of the IDPS and now at Sentio University.

In the States, our friends at Sentio University have created a university that is completely based on the science of deliberate practice - to an extent that is previously unseen. At Sentio, all supervisors are trained in DP methods, and receieves continuous supervision on their supervision. Moreover, all clinical work is recorded, outcome data is the standard, and the learning activities integrate theory and skills training – always coupled with competent feedback.

We also know that in Hungary, Germany, Sweden, Norway, more training programs and sites are looking into how they can implement the principles of DP into their activities. If you are involved in therapist training and working on implementation of DP principles in your training program, feel free to reach out to the IDPS to have a cup of coffee and discuss dilemmas!

Around the world, an increasing number of therapist training programs have integrated Deliberate Practice to improve learning outcome for students and therapists. Country, setting and the level of experience with the persons in training vary, but what these sites have in common is that they apply several DP principles in their training. In the IDPS, we have had the great pleasure of training staff and collaborating on design.

In Sweden, the pioneering public hospital system Västra Götaland Region has offered their therapist DP-based continued education since 2022. In this education, the therapists in training have presented clinical work on video, recieved feedback, practiced according to DP principles in supervision, with peers and also solitarily. The supervisors at the VGR DP program have all trained to become IDPS certified DP supervisors.

At the department of psychology at the University of Oslo, they have trained their clinical supervisors in DP methods over time, and work to implement DP principles even at early stages in their education of psychologists. In collaboration with trained IDPS DP supervisors at Sentio and the International Deliberate Practice Society, they have also prepared a research project over the last two years that will study DP in therapist training. This exciting project starts autumn 2024. At the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Gunnar Gotaas – himself in IDPS DP supervisor training - (PhD) has created a pre-graduate DP program that students run autonomously. It is very popular among the students – we are not surprised:)