Shaping psychotherapy trainees' potential: insights from training program directors.

The role of the therapist has received growing attention in psychotherapy research, suggesting that training effectiveness may also depend on the person of the trainees, with relevant implications in terms of candidate selection or tailoring training to the person. In the present study, we focused on how and how much psychotherapy training can be effective in fostering trainees' characteristics associated with successful therapists and contrast trainees' characteristics that could represent limitations as therapists. The aim was to explore training program directors' perspectives on individual trainees' limitations and strengths, and on the effectiveness of training in shaping successful therapists.