Integrating Theory and Practice: Using Microanalysis in Psychotherapy Training to Transform Abstract Concepts Into Specific Behaviors

Integrating theory and psychotherapy practice in academic training is a challenge. Theoretical concepts and learning objectives are often vague, and how they come into practice can sometimes be difficult to grasp. This article describes how microanalysis was used with students to explore how theoretically abstract concepts, in this case “empathy,” manifest in their clinical practice. We watched two types of videorecorded psychotherapy sessions, the students analyzed their own work and shared collected examples of “empathic” therapist behaviors, and, finally, we listed what we found and discussed the results. Together, we aimed to create clear and specific behavioral descriptions from a vague concept and to use those descriptions as a basis for reflective learning. When skills are described in overt behavioral terms, they can be taught and evaluated. Using microanalysis in teaching can facilitate understanding abstract concepts, support the transition from theoretical understanding to implementation in clinical practice, and offer a tool for the clinical practitioner to continually develop their own work individually or in groups.