Three Therapists – Approaching Challenges to the Therapeutic Relationship (video). Manchester: University of Manchester Counselling Service

Very early in the course of psychotherapy training the trainee is introduced to the concept of ‘common factors’ that contribute to successful outcomes in any model of therapy. This video demonstrates such common factors in action within three different therapeutic modalities: cognitive–analytic therapy, psychodynamic interpersonal therapy (the conversational model) and cognitive therapy. It was initially shown at a psychotherapy research conference and has been reworked and presented as a training video for ‘therapists and other mental health workers… to develop skills for working with challenges to the therapeutic relationship.’

The video includes role-plays of three 20-min sessions with a therapist representing each therapeutic modality and is followed by discussion of the interaction among the three therapists. The role-play is very competently performed by an actress which adds to the verisimilitude of the production. This is particularly welcome since the ‘patient’ material is standardised and hence potentially repetitive.

The video evoked strong reactions from a panel of ‘guinea pigs’, which included senior house officers in psychiatry and a selection of mental health workers experienced in psychotherapy but not in the specific models of therapy presented. The technical elements of each interaction were not named and those without a grounding in the therapeutic models felt they needed prior theoretical instruction in order to appreciate how the common factors and differences were demonstrated. This could be overcome by frequent pausing of the video and explanation.

The video is 80 min long and it can be difficult to assimilate all the material if watched at a single sitting. However, if watched over three sessions, the comparative aspects of the exercise were diminished. Given the dearth of such resources for psychotherapy supervision, the video is an extremely valuable training tool, but it should be used with some form of teaching on the techniques and interventions used.