FAP Research in Sweden
Dr. JoAnne Dahl
Uppsala University, Uppsala Sweden
Below is a description of a study currently being conducted examining brief FAP training and the effect on therapeutic alliance. Check back for more information. For questions, please e-mail Dr. Dahl.
The aim of the study is to see if a short term FAP education and supervision improves therapeutic alliance for last term students in the graduate clinical psychology program at Uppsala University in Sweden. The design of the study is a RCT with clinical graduate psychology students (N=30). Half of the students received a 2-day FAP training and one FAP group supervision session (4 students per group) during the time they saw clients. The other half of the students received a short information day with regard to the study and measurements and the same amount of supervision characterized as reflective listening and supportive therapy.
All 30 students met with one client for four sessions in the both the first and second part of the study (i.e., each student had 2 clients with a total of 8 session for the entire study). The group that did not receive the FAP training the first time received FAP training and supervision in the second half of the study.
The clients in this study are volunteer students from other departments, mostly recruited from the department of economy and law. The students were told that they were going to speak to last year psychologists on the topic of relationships. There were many volunteers who wanted to participate. Clients were about the same age as our student therapists.
The FAP training was modeled on the FAP workshop given at the FAP summit in Seattle. As all the students had already seen clients (in order to get a baseline) role plays of clients were practiced with the team of five FAP teachers during training. FAP theory, demonstrations, and role plays comprised the 2-day training. Participants met again with clients followed by a FAP supervision session.
The dependent measure was therapeutic alliance, measured using the WAI scale. We will also do some random coding of video tapes of student therapists and their clients.
The study is more than half done now. We will be done completely by the end of November and able to report the first results during December. The project is the subject of two graduate theses.
