Mastering the Inner Skills of Psychotherapy A Deliberate Practice Manual on Building Psychological Capacity

by Rousmaniere, Tony; Jin, Joel

• ISBN13: 9781433845000
• ISBN10: 1433845008
• Edition: 2nd
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2026-03-31
• Publisher: American Psychological Association
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Summary

Now in its second edition, this concise volume helps therapists develop the resilience and flexibility they need to deliver effective therapy.

Clients who are provocative, angry, shut down, or emotionally labile often arouse strong emotional responses in therapists. Without proper training and practice, these experiences can make it difficult for therapists to stay self-aware, attuned, and clinically flexible.

Founded on the principles of deliberate practice, this book presents a clear and concise training plan to help readers identify, develop, and master the inner skills necessary to be effective therapists. Authors Tony Rousmaniere and Joel Jin explain the theory and value of deliberate practice and guide readers through six experiential exercises to help them build psychological capacity. Readers select their own materials for exposure, ranging from movie clips to videotaped therapy sessions, and learn techniques to navigate their emotional reactions.

This second edition includes a new chapter for course instructors, extended and updated research, and expanded clinical resources.

Author Biography

Tony Rousmaniere, PsyD, is program director of the Sentio Marriage and Family Therapy graduate program, and executive director of the Sentio Counseling Center. He has authored many books on deliberate practice and psychotherapy training and is coeditor of the book series The Essentials of Deliberate Practice(APA Books). In 2017, Dr. Rousmaniere published the widely cited article in The Atlantic Monthly, “What Your Therapist Doesn’t Know.” Dr. Rousmaniere supports the open-data movement and publishes clinical outcome data at drtonyr.com. He is president of Division 29 of APA.

Table of Contents

Prologue to the 2nd Edition 

Forwards 

Part I: The Training Plan 

Chapter 1: Introduction  

Chapter 2: A Case Example  

Chapter 3: Psychological Capacity  

Chapter 4: Stimuli for Deliberate Practice  

Chapter 5: Principles of Training  

Chapter 6: Training Safely  

Part II: Deliberate Practice Exercises  

Exercise #1: Observe Your Reactions To Psychological Stimuli  

Exercise #2: Attention Control  

Exercise #3: Simultaneous Self-Observation and Client Engagement  

Part III: Advanced Deliberate Practice Exercises  

Exercise #4: Psychological Self-Recovery  

Exercise #5: Interval Training  

Exercise #6: Customize Your Deliberate Practice 

Part IV: Training Strategy 

Chapter 7: Track Your Progress  

Chapter 8: Common Challenges and Solutions  

Chapter 9: Personal Development for Therapists  

Chapter 10: Looking Forward  

Part V: Resources  

Appendix A: Deliberate Practice Exercise Form  

Appendix B: Customizing DP Exercises Form  

Appendix C: Sample Videos