Mastering the Inner Skills of Psychotherapy

Tony Rousmaniere, PsyD, is the program director of the Sentio Marriage and Family Therapy graduate program and the executive director of the Sentio Counseling Center. He has authored many books on deliberate practice and psychotherapy training and is coeditor of the APA book series The Essentials of Deliberate Practice. 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 the American Psychological Association.Joel Jin, PhD, is acting assistant professor at the University of Washington's School of Medicine, where he trains family medicine residents in behavioral health skills. He has also trained PhD clinical psychology students in alliance-building, clinical interviewing, experiential dynamic therapy, and attachment-based family therapy at Seattle Pacific University. Dr. Jin is an author of Deliberate Practice in Multicultural Therapy and has published on deliberate practice in the journals Training and Education in Professional Psychology and Practice Innovations. He is a licensed clinical psychologist in Washington.

"Tony Rousmaniere has a great ability to help therapists learn deliberate practice skills. Not only does Tony have an incredible grasp of the scholarly literature, but he also knows how to make it practical and actionable. This second edition of Mastering the Inner Skills of Psychotherapy is even better than the first. I don't know of another book that addresses ways for therapists to manage their internal reactions within a deliberate practice framework. I'm excited to recommend this to others!" - Ryan B. Seedall, PhD, LMFT, Professor and Director, Marriage and Family Therapy Program, Utah State University, Logan, UT, United States "This second edition of Mastering the Inner Skills of Psychotherapy is a tour de force. Tony Rousmaniere is a master storyteller who leads the reader through his own very personal quest to become more than a "good enough" therapist. In the process, Rousmaniere reveals the secrets of deliberate practice in a down-to-earth, accessible, practical, and impactful manner. A must-read for therapists who won't settle for less than bringing forth the best of themselves in the challenging work they do." - Hanna Levenson, PhD, Clinical Psychologist, Supervisor, Researcher; Professor Emeritus, The Wright Institute, Berkeley, CA, United States "This book is a substantial contribution to the field of psychotherapy and is uniquely designed to foster deeper reflection and skill development among practitioners committed to mastering their craft. The inner skills of psychotherapy can be nurtured and developed through the deliberate practice exercises included in this essential manual. No other resource in our field today so effectively tackles the therapist as a person and addresses how to enhance our ability to tolerate painful and distressing affect in the room with our clients. Mastering the Inner Skills of Psychotherapy: A Deliberate Practice Manual on Building Psychological Capacity, Second Edition should be required reading for therapists of all levels of training." - Tracy A. Prout, PhD, Licensed Psychologist, IMPACT Psychological Services, Fishkill, NY, United States

• Prologue to the 2nd EditionIntroduction: Building Therapists’ Psychological CapacityPart I. Foundations of Deliberate Practice in PsychotherapyChapter 1. A Case ExampleChapter 2. What Is Psychological Capacity?Chapter 3. Effective Stimuli for Deliberate PracticeChapter 4. Principles of Building Psychological CapacityChapter 5. Training SafelyPart II. Deliberate Practice Exercises for Inner SkillsExercise 1. Noticing DiscomfortExercise 2. Redirecting Inner AttentionExercise 3. Noticing Discomfort While Staying EngagedPart III. Advanced Deliberate Practice Exercises for Inner SkillsExercise 4. Getting Back into CapacityExercise 5. Expanding Psychological Capacity Using Interval TrainingExercise 6. Customizing Your Deliberate PracticePart IV. Training StrategyChapter 6. Tracking ProgressChapter 7. Overcoming Common ChallengesChapter 8. Growing Personally as a TherapistChapter 9. Teaching Deliberate Practice in Your CoursesAfterword: Looking ForwardReferencesAppendix A. Recommended Reading on Deliberate PracticeAppendix B. Self-Regulation TechniquesAppendix C. Deliberate Practice Exercise FormAppendix D. Sample VideosAppendix E. Customizing DP Exercises FormAbout the Authors