TY  - JOUR
A1  - Kühne, Franziska
A1  - Heinze, Peter Eric
A1  - Weck, Florian
T1  - What do laypersons believe characterises a competent psychotherapist?
T2  - Counselling and psychotherapy research
N2  - Aim 
Although research and clinical definitions of psychotherapeutic competence have been proposed, less is known about the layperson perspective. The aim was to explore the views of individuals with different levels of psychotherapy experience regarding what-in their views-constitutes a competent therapist. 

Method
In an online survey, 375 persons (64% female, mean age 33.24 years) with no experience, with professional experience, or with personal pre-experience with psychotherapy participated. To provide low-threshold questions, we first presented two qualitative items (i.e. "In your opinion, what makes a good/competent psychotherapist?"; "How do you recognize that a psychotherapist is not competent?") and analysed them using inductive content analysis techniques (Mayring, 2014). Then, we gave participants a 16-item questionnaire including items from previous surveys and from the literature and analysed them descriptively. 

Results
Work-relatedprinciples, professionalism, personalitycharacteristics, caringcommunication, empathy and understandingwere important categories of competence. Concerning the quantitative questions, most participants agreed with items indicating that a therapist should be open, listen well, show empathy and behave responsibly.

Conclusion
Investigating layperson perspectives suggested that effective and professional interpersonal behaviour of therapists plays a central role in the public's perception of psychotherapy.
KW  - client preferences
KW  - expectancies
KW  - psychotherapeutic competencies
KW  - psychotherapy process
KW  - public involvement
Y1  - 2020
UR  - https://publishup.uni-potsdam.de/frontdoor/index/index/docId/57450
SN  - 1473-3145
SN  - 1746-1405
VL  - 21
IS  - 3
SP  - 660
EP  - 671
PB  - Wiley
CY  - Hoboken
ER  -