Exploring Excellence
A Qualitative Analysis of Interviews with Top-Performing Psychotherapists
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 8914625 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Stephanie Chambers-Baltz (0000-0001-6370-3975, School of Psychological and Behavioral Sciences, Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, corresponding author), Douglas Knutson (0000-0002-4905-4769, Oklahoma State University) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Publication date | 2026-02-25 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | The Counseling Psychologist (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0011-0000 • E-ISSN: 1552-3861 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publishing (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1177/00110000261427392 |
| OpenAlex | W7131394259 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 47 |
Researchers suggest that psychotherapists are an essential element in positive mental health outcomes and that excellent psychotherapists produce more positive client outcomes. Mental health organizations, training programs, and psychotherapists may benefit from insights into how excellent psychotherapists optimize their therapeutic practice. This study details results from a consensual qualitative research investigation of personal and professional development in high-performing psychotherapists. Participants were 12 licensed psychotherapists who were nominated by their clinic directors as their client outcome measures placed them in the top 25% of psychotherapists at their respective clinics. A semi-structured interview protocol was used to guide interviews that were transcribed and analyzed by a research team. Analyses yielded seven primary themes or domains that included: Specialization, Personal Identity Development, Multicultural Self-Awareness, Advocacy, Therapeutic Relationship, Work/Life Balance, and Advice for Beginning Psychotherapists. Practice implications for training and therapist development, as well as future research areas are discussed
Grounded theory · Identity (music · Interpretative phenomenological analysis · Mental health · Multiculturalism · Qualitative analysis · Qualitative research · Therapeutic relationship · Counseling Practices and Supervision · Ego Development and Educational Practices · Psychotherapy Techniques and Applications
Competency benchmarks
The multicultural orientation framework
Cultural humility
Client perceptions of therapists’ multicultural orientation
The necessary and sufficient conditions of therapeutic personality change.
Guidelines on multicultural education, training, research, practice, and organizational change for Psychologists
Journal article reporting standards for qualitative primary, qualitative meta-analytic, and mixed methods research in psychology
Therapist Expertise in Psychotherapy Revisited
Introduction to the Special Issue
Psychotherapy Expertise Should Mean Superior Outcomes and Demonstrable Improvement Over Time
Expertise in psychotherapy
In Defense of Cultural Competency in Psychotherapy and Treatment
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |