Is supervision necessary? Examining the effects of internet based CBT training with and without supervision.
OBJECTIVE To investigate the effect of Internet based training (IBT) with and without supervision, on therapists' (N 61) cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) skills in routine clinical practice. METHOD Participants were randomized into 3 conditions: (1) Internet based training with use of a consultation worksheet (IBT CW) (2) Internet based training with CBT supervision via Skype (IBT S) and (3) "delayed training" controls (DTs) who did not receive the training until all data collection was completed. The IBT participants received access to training over a period of 3 months. CBT skills were evaluated at pre mid and posttraining/wait using assessor competence ratings of recorded therapy sessions. RESULTS Hierarchical linear analysis revealed that the IBT S participants had significantly greater CBT competence at posttraining than did IBT CW and DT participants at both the mid and posttraining/wait assessment points. There were no significant differences between IBT CW and the delayed (no) training DTs. CONCLUSIONS IBT programs that include supervision may be a scalable and effective method of disseminating CBT into routine clinical practice, particularly for populations without ready access to more traditional "live" methods of training. There was no evidence for a significant effect of IBT without supervision over a nontraining control, suggesting that merely providing access to IBT programs may not be an effective method of disseminating CBT to routine clinical practice.
Journal of consulting and clinical psychology