Classical Adlerian Mentorship: Cultivating Adlerian Practitioners' Professional Identity Through Mentorship

Training in Psychological Psychotherapy and Child and Adolescent Psychotherapy: Results of a Survey Background: In fall 1999, a regulation for the training of psychological psychotherapy and child and adolescent psychotherapy (APrV) was enacted by the Ministry of Health in Germany, based on the new law for psychotherapy (Psychotherapeutengesetz, PsychThG). Aim: To assess the degree of redundancy in the university training and the post-graduate training in clinical psychology and psychotherapy the Division of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy of the German Psychological Association (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Psychologie, DGPs) conducted a survey. Results: The survey reveals a large overlap of subjects taught as part of the university training in clinical psychology and psychotherapy and the subjects required as part of the post-graduate training in psychotherapy. Usually, more than 200 hours of basic theoretical training are taught in graduate classes at the universities, covering almost all subjects that are requested as part of the post-graduate psychotherapy training. Almost all of the responding institutes suggest a renewal of parts of the law and the APrV so that equivalent subject-matters of the diploma training at universities should be accepted as part of the training programs for psychological psychotherapy and child- and adolescent psychotherapy. A change of curricula for the diploma training is not supported.

This chapter provides a historical overview of professional identity within the context of social work, what we mean by professional identity, how we measure it and how we teach it to students. Through exploring definitions of professional social work identity and findings from empirical research involving social workers and students, we identify challenges for educators, based on competing social work discourses and multiple identities of practitioner, researcher and educator. Findings from empirical research, conducted by the author in Northern Ireland, highlight the learning activities that student social workers found most useful in terms of developing readiness for practice competence and professional social work identity (Cleak et al., 2016; Roulston et al., 2018). This research offers insights into the differing perspectives of students based on the placement setting and stage of training, as well as the perceived usefulness of specific learning activities. This chapter concludes with some evidence-informed advice to curriculum developers.

Back to table of contents Previous article Next article Professional NewsFull AccessHelp Wanted: Psychiatrist/PsychotherapistRandon Welton, M.D.Randon WeltonSearch for more papers by this author, M.D.Published Online:15 Nov 2017https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.pn.2017.10b24AbstractChanges in psychiatric training and practice challenge the notion that the next generation of psychiatrists will consider psychotherapy a key component of their professional identity. Although the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) requires that all graduating psychiatry residents demonstrate competence in “managing and treating patients using both brief and long-term supportive, psychodynamic, and cognitive-behavioral psychotherapies,” the expectations and opportunities for the continued development of psychotherapeutic skills among early career psychiatrists (ECPs) is limited. National trends threaten the emphasis on psychotherapy training among residents and ECPs.Between 2001-2002 and 2017-2018, the number of ACGME psychiatry residency programs grew from 182 to 226. The number of psychiatry residents in those programs increased by 21 percent to 5,407. Although some of these “new” programs were actually preexisting osteopathic residencies seeking accreditation through the ACGME, most represent fledgling training sites intended to alleviate the national shortage of psychiatrists. Many of these programs were planted in rural or underserved areas. This stems from a conviction that it is easier to train and retain a psychiatrist than it is to recruit a psychiatrist to these locations. The program designers hope that during the four years of training, psychiatry residents will establish roots that bind them to the community. Since underserved areas have fewer psychiatrists working in them, the pool of psychotherapy instructors/supervisors among existing psychiatrists is relatively small. Psychiatrist-led psychotherapy training in these new residencies is further imperiled by the general decline of psychotherapy provided by psychiatrists. In 1988-1989, the percentage of patients receiving psychotherapy from their outpatient psychiatrist varied from a low of 36 percent in public mental health settings to 80 percent of patients seen by psychiatrists in private practice. A survey from 1996-1997 found that 44.4 percent of all visits with an outpatient psychiatrist included psychotherapy. By 2004-2005 that percentage had fallen to 28.9 percent. The psychiatrists forming the backbone of the teaching and supervising staff for these new programs may lack the time and/or experience to emphasize psychotherapy. The requirements for psychotherapy training persist while the number of training programs increases and the psychotherapy experience of the average psychiatrist decreases. Residency programs have looked for creative solutions to this conundrum. Some of these solutions may have an inadvertent, negative impact on the future of psychotherapy by psychiatrists. Although the ACGME requires the graduating residents be declared competent in supportive psychotherapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy, and psychodynamic psychotherapy, programs are permitted to set their own definition of competency. Stretched programs may be tempted to lower the bar. The ACGME Milestones attempt to define objective standards of competency, but still permit considerable flexibility. Programs may also turn to instructors and supervisors from other disciplines. These individuals might be excellent therapists, teachers, and role models, but in the minds of psychiatry residents, who are still developing their professional identity, this may entrench the idea that psychotherapy is not a part of modern psychiatry.Resources have been created to meet this need. Programs may use Internet-based training tools such as McMaster University’s Psychotherapy Training e-Resource. Other technological solutions include the use of live teleconferencing of psychotherapy training and even tele-supervision when using HIPAA-compliant systems. The Psychotherapy Committee of the American Association of Directors of Psychiatry Residency Training (AADPRT) has created several tools that can be used by psychiatry residency programs to enrich psychotherapy training. Several organizations have created specialized training/mentoring programs for faculty development in psychotherapy and psychotherapy training. The American Psychoanalytic Association created the Psychoanalytic and Psychodynamic Teachers’ Academy, a year-long professional development program. The American Academy of Psychoanalysis and Dynamic Psychiatry and AADPRT sponsor the Victor J. Teichner Award, which provides a residency program with a visiting professor to improve training in psychodynamic psychotherapy. The Beck Institute for Cognitive Behavior Therapy offers the “Teaching and Supervising CBT” workshop.ECPs seeking to enhance their psychotherapy skills can similarly seek out additional training opportunities. Many psychoanalytic institutes provide courses in psychodynamic psychotherapy in addition to psychoanalytic training. Organizations such as the Association of Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies maintain an impressive array of online training materials and provide training seminars and workshops. Many of these offer ongoing supervision and consultation as part of their services. Perhaps the optimal solution, however, is a personal one. Psychiatrists possessing a passion for psychotherapy should be challenged to seek out opportunities to share their knowledge and proselytize for psychotherapy by psychiatrists. An “adopt a residency” approach has been discussed by the APA Psychotherapy Caucus for the last two years. Providers with psychotherapeutic expertise should engage local training programs and ECPs and promote psychotherapy by psychiatrists. Through the determined efforts of individuals and organizations, we can preserve psychotherapy as a key component of every psychiatrist’s professional identity.ReferencesACGME. Number of Accredited Programs. Access here on 18 August 2017.ACGME. ACGME Program Requirements for Graduate Medical Education in Psychiatry. Access here on 17 August 2017.Mojtabai, R. and Olfson M. National Trends in Psychotherapy by Office-Based Psychiatrists. Archives of General Psychiatry 2008; 65: 962-970.Olfson, M., Pincus, H.A., and Dial, T.H. Professional Practice Patterns of U.S. Psychiatrists. American Journal of Psychiatry 1994; 151: 89-95. Randon Welton, M.D., is an associate professor and director of residency training in the Department of Psychiatry at the Wright State University Boonshoft School of Medicine. This column is coordinated by the Psychotherapy Committee of the Group for the Advancement of Psychiatry. ISSUES NewArchived

This scoping review explores the impact of coaching on the professional identity formation (PIF) of postgraduate medical trainees. Although coaching is well-documented in undergraduate medical education, its role in postgraduate medical education (PME) remains underexplored. This review aims to identify enablers and barriers to coaching in PIF, examine modalities employed and assess coaching's contribution to developing well-rounded, resilient physicians. Following Arksey and O'Malley's scoping review framework and reported in accordance with the PRISMA-ScR guidelines, the research question was formulated using the Joanna Briggs Institute's Population-Concept-Context (PCC) framework. A comprehensive, peer-reviewed search strategy was executed across PubMed, Embase, Web of Science and Google Scholar (first 20 pages). Grey literature was included, and no date limits were applied. Studies of any design focusing on coaching in PME were eligible. Titles and abstracts were screened using Rayyan, and full-text reviews were conducted independently by three reviewers using a negotiated consensual validation approach. An additional study was identified through snowballing. Data were extracted using a structured charting framework and analysed thematically. Of the 336 records identified through database searches, 20 studies met the inclusion criteria, including one added through snowballing. The literature highlighted diverse coaching modalities and their positive impact on PIF. Coaching supported trainees in professional development, identity evolution, career planning, resilience and well-being. It fostered psychologically safe environments for self-reflection, self-assessment and development of both technical and non-technical skills. However, qualitative and longitudinal research on coaching's effectiveness in PME remains limited. This review emphasises coaching as a valuable tool in shaping postgraduate medical trainees' professional identity. A conceptual framework of coaching has been identified, and its integration into medical curricula may enhance reflective capacity, communication skills, resilience and overall well-being. Future research should prioritise the validation of this evidence-based coaching framework and its impact on fostering communities of practice to support identity formation, holistic physician development and care.

Linking undergraduate professional identity development in engineering to major embeddedness and persistence

The text addresses the theme of teachers’ professional development. The role of a teacher is defined by cultural and social events and the environment, and they influence the differences that occur in the concept of teacher roles within different cultures, societies, including the geographic environment. Thus, in the first part of the paper, based on an analysis of the literature, we identify factors that significantly influence teachers’ perception of their role and consequently, determine their professional identity. In the second part, based on the results of the empirical research, we show that factors such as teachers’ beliefs about their own qualifications, as well as years of work experience and subject area, statistically significantly influenced the development of the teachers’ professional identity. The main findings of the study are that teachers with several years of service experience feel better qualified to perform their duties (tasks related to planning and teaching were rated the most highly) than teachers with less work experience, and that teachers with more work experience evaluated the claims related to their educational activity statistically significantly higher. An important finding is that teachers define their professional identity and consequently, their role through their personality traits, which shows that we must not ignore teachers’ personality traits, as they play an important role in teachers’ professional development and identity.

Nigeria, with an estimated 40 million people living with mental disorders, faces a critical shortage of psychiatrists to address the significant burden. Despite psychotherapy being integral to psychiatric training, it lacks structure, consistency and adequate supervision. This is alarming, particularly given the substantial demand for specialized psychotherapeutic support among those with mental illness. A cross-sectional study utilised an online survey targeting early career psychiatrists recruited from the Early Career Psychiatrists section of the Association of Psychiatrists in Nigeria. The questionnaire was distributed to 252 early career psychiatrists across Nigeria, with a 42.9% response rate, of which 50% were male, with 73.2% trainees and 26.8% early career psychiatrists. While 52.8% had received some psychotherapy training, only 2.8% were qualified psychotherapists. Notably, only 27.6% of those with psychotherapy training had over 100 hours of training. Factors such as receiving psychotherapy training during postgraduate training and having supervised psychotherapy training were found significant for having independent psychotherapy training. There is little emphasis on psychotherapy training in the postgraduate training in Nigeria. Those who had full training in psychotherapy were self-sponsored. Structured, supervised and mandatory psychotherapy within psychiatry training curriculum is recommended.

We propose that the conceptual orientation of professional identity is a logical consequence of self-concept development by focusing on career and its meaning and presents a measurable set of concepts that can be manipulated to improve retention of student and registered nurses within health service. Although professional identity is a term that is commonly written of in nursing literature, its theoretical origins remain unclear, and available empirical evidence of its presence or ability to change is omitted from nursing research. SOURCES OF EVIDENCE: We present a professional identity pathway and explore the factors that influence professional identity throughout a career in nursing. Nurses' professional identities develop throughout their lifetimes, from before entering nursing education, throughout their years of study and clinical experience, and continue to evolve during their careers. Education is, however, a key period as it is during this time students gain the knowledge and skills that separate nurses as professional healthcare workers from lay people. Finally, a call for longitudinal studies of students to graduates, using conceptually derived and psychometrically proven instruments capable of detecting the subtle changes in the construct over time, is recommended. Further empirical research into the theoretical concepts that underline professional identity, and the factors that influence changes in this important construct in nursing, is required. Ultimately, the practical relevance of such research will lie in the potential it provides for enhanced nursing career support and improved workforce policies.

Background: Despite the evidence that many girls and some boys are regularly subjected to inequalities within school physical education (PE) in Norway today, and international research showing how physical education teacher education (PETE) courses often construct unequal learning opportunities for their students on the basis of gender, few teacher educators' ‘instructional discourses’ seem to reflect these findings about gender relations. In fact, there is very little empirical research available about PE teacher educators in general and how they develop their professional identities. Purpose: This study has aimed to illuminate the duality of structure of PE teacher educators' professional identities and of the social construction of gender in PETE. By gaining a better understanding of the way in which we are both structured by PETE culture, and yet at the same time structure the culture, PE teacher educators may be better positioned to combat discriminatory practices. Participants and setting: Four PE teacher educators (aged between 31 and 42 years, with 5–13 years of teaching experience in PETE) from three universities offering PETE in Norway comprise the ‘purposeful sample’. Research design: The qualitative study is based upon social constructivist theories of professionalism and gender. It asks: ‘Are PE teacher educators’ professional identities constructed as technical or moral projects?' and ‘How are gender, gender equality and equity constructed in PETE?’ Data collection: Data were collected via in-depth interviews (two per informant), researcher log books and policy documents. Policy documents were downloaded from university websites or provided by the informants (for example, course plans and literature). Data analysis: Data were coded and analysed using a ‘content analysis’ approach, in which emerging themes were identified in relation to what being a professional PE teacher educator means and how gender equality and/or equity are constructed within PETE. Findings: The PE teacher educators' identities in this study are closely linked to a performance identity and a desire to pursue a love of sport. Their professional knowledge is based on knowing ‘what and how’, rather than asking why PE students should learn certain things. Their identity projects can be classified as technical rather than moral: the teacher educators are not concerned with developing students as democratic citizens with an interest in social justice; rather, they are interested in the successful transmission of the ‘truths’ of PETE to tomorrow's teachers. They are mostly interested in PE didactics and show little, if any, interest in pedagogical theory. Gender is not perceived as an important factor in the learning arena; it is perceived as a biological given. The teacher educators seem to exercise autonomy in PETE and their practice can be characterised as private, rather than collective. Conclusion: The PE teacher educators' lack of a theoretical understanding of gender unwittingly leads them to perpetuate a discourse which discriminates against many young female and some male students in PETE. Today's neo-liberal, outcome-driven teacher education tends to strengthen the PE teacher educators' technical view of professionalism and provides little room for alternative professional identities. PE teacher educators may benefit from the sharing of self-narratives about our gendered, professional identities with the view to engaging in fruitful continual professional learning.

Although literature has often alluded to health visitors’ professional identity, a comprehensive definition of what this was remained elusive. Health visitors’ professional identity is important and forms a framework underpinning practice. Health visitors need to know, and feel secure in, who they are and what they do in order for them to practise effectively as public health practitioners and make a positive health difference to their clients’ lives. A qualitative extended study was carried out to investigate how service changes affected health visitors’ professional identity. Twenty health visitors were interviewed over 22 months using interpretative phenomenological analysis, combined with an art-based approach. The study model comprised a literature review and the health visitors’ understanding of their identity and professional identity. This article describes how a comprehensive definition of professional identity was established; how, and in what ways, service changes affected the participants’ professional identity, along with recommendations and implications for policy and practice, will be addressed at a later date.

BackgroundThe professional identity formation (PIF) of postgraduate trainees in basic health sciences is critical to their educational journey. Yet, appropriate measurement tools are lacking. This research aimed to adapt and modify an existing PIF scale to assess the professional identities of postgraduate basic health sciences trainees.MethodsA mixed-method study was conducted to validate a modified PIF scale. An instrument was developed following AMEE Guide 87 (A. R. Artino et al.) (1). Seven medical educationalists and basic health science postgraduate supervisors established its content validity and reliability. Cognitive interviews were conducted with 15 participants, and the tool was validated through the Delphi technique. Piloting was undertaken on a simple random sample of 500 postgraduate trainees. Psychometric analyses, including structure factor analysis, internal consistency testing, and qualitative content analysis, were used to evaluate the modified scale.ResultsFive factors related to professional identity formation were identified: “Commitment to Professional Identity, belonging and Values,” “Pursuit of Knowledge and Excellence,” “Professional Growth and Collaboration,” Personal Growth and Reflection,” and “Confidence and impact.” The modified PIF scale demonstrated robust psychometric properties, including a well-defined factor structure, significant reliability, and high internal consistency. With a Cronbach alpha 0.97, the PIF scale's five kept variables accounted for 99.99% of the variance.ConclusionsThe study found the modified PIF scale to be a reliable tool for assessing the professional identities of postgraduate trainees in basic health sciences. It developed a 50-item tool with five valid factors to evaluate professional identity for postgraduate trainees.

The article is devoted to identifying the most important parameters of identity that define psychological well-being of students. The aim of the study is to determine the role of components of identity in ensuring psychological well-being of students. The results specify that identification with one's own family is a factor in the formation of positive relationships with the environment. Positive identification with their own inner world promotes independence, ability to resist social pressure in their thoughts and actions. Successful identification with one's own inner world and around the middle of communication fosters a sense of confidence and competence in managing the daily Affairs and a sense of continuous self-development, tracking their own personal growth and realize their potential, and the availability of goals in life and create a sense of meaningfulness of their own lives, the recognition and acceptance of their diversity, a positive assessment of his past. Successful identification with one's own internal experience contributes to the feeling of life satisfaction, happiness, self-actualization, and personal growth. Identification with one's own personal growth is a prerequisite for creating in students a high opinion of his own abilities, a sense of competence in the management of daily activity; a positive identification with the future profession, family and social life are the prerequisites of formation of the ability to perceive and integrate a new experience, to realistically assess all aspects both positive and negative aspects of human existence. It was found that the higher statuses are characterized by gender and professional identity, the more these students is characterized by the presence of loved ones, pleasant, trusting relationships with others and a desire to care for other people, ability to find compromises in the relationship (given that the balance of affect is the idea behind a reverse index). It is established that indicators of identity are the prerequisites for the formation of psychological well-being in students identified for such integrated indicators as the development of professional self and identity that is declared, and in particular the partial variables such as identification with their own family, inner peace, personal development, society and the like, which ensure the formation of psychological well-being in its various manifestations, is first and foremost a positive evaluation of themselves and their own life, as well as the ability to create conditions that meet your own personal needs and values.

Background Psychiatric training was once synonymous with learning psychotherapy, but current psychiatric trainees face many options for integrating psychopharmacology and psychotherapy into their future practices, including providing primarily medication-focused visits. We examined psychiatry residents’ attitudes towards learning psychotherapy, practicing psychotherapy in the future, and overall identification as psychotherapists. Methods We surveyed residents from 15 US residency programs during 2006-2007. The survey included 36 Likert-scaled items inquiring about residents’ attitudes towards their psychotherapy training and supervision, their level of psychotherapy competence, the role of psychotherapy in their psychiatric identity, and their future practice plans. Four items asked about personal psychotherapy experience. Here we describe findings related to attitudes concerning being a psychotherapist and future practice plans. Results Among 249 respondents, most (82%) viewed becoming a psychotherapist as integral to their psychiatric identity. Fifty-four percent planned to provide formal psychotherapy, whereas 62% anticipated psychopharmacology would be the foundation of treatment for most patients. Residents with personal psychotherapy experience and first-year postgraduate residents (PGY-1) were more likely to identify as psychotherapists, plan to pursue further psychotherapy training postresidency, and anticipate psychotherapy being central to their future practice. Conclusions Despite concerns about the diminishing role of psychotherapy in the practice of psychiatry and in psychiatrists’ professional identity, most psychiatric residents view psychotherapy as integral to their professional identities and future practice plans.

Professional identity is a multifaceted conceptual term combining behaviours, knowledge, skills, values, beliefs, contextual and socio-cultural factors with personal and group identity. The historical underpinning of occupational therapy is partly attributed to the difficulties occupational therapists face articulating their unique identity and the profession being misunderstood by others. Little is known about how occupational therapists working in community physical health settings experience their professional identity. Interpretative phenomenological analysis was used to understand how five occupational therapists interpreted and made sense of their experiences of professional identity working in community UK physical health settings. Interviews were carried out following social media recruitment and analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis guidance. Participants identified that their professional identity was forged through experiences over time developing skills, confidence and their inner understanding of who they were as an occupational therapists. Maintaining a secure professional identity was attributed to building their community of practice and creating a sense of belonging. Professional identity was forged through time and experience of 'doing', 'being' and 'becoming' occupational therapists. Building a community of practice and creating a sense of 'belonging' were key components of how these occupational therapists working in community physical health roles sustained their professional identity.

The article is devoted to the theoretical substantiation and empirical research of dynamic features of successful professional identity’s formation of students-psychologists in institutions of higher education. The importance of this issue is substantiated and an empirical research is held. The psychological semantic features of the formation’s stages of professionalism, professional crises during the profession of psychologist at the university are studied. The influence of educational and professional activity on professional identity is outlined. The definition of professional identity as a psychological category is concretized, which is the awareness of a specialist of his belonging to a certain profession and a certain professional community. Valid psychodiagnostic tools were used and comparative and correlation analyses of data were performed. The structure of professional identity, which combines cognitive, emotional and behavioural components, is revealed. The results of empirical research confirmed that the dynamics of successful development of professional identity of future psychologists in the learning process is the gradual formation of its structural components. Crisis tendencies in the identity of third-year students have been established. They are caused by frustration in professional and life choices, inconsistency of expectations and ideas about the profession and the realities of its acquisition. The presence of identity crisis of the third-year students was established. It is proved that professional identity is determined by the conscious choice of respondents by profession. It is verified and substantiated that students, who are characterized by the formed mature professional identity, quite consciously choose the educational trajectory and carefully complete it with selective educational components.