Developing relational competence in psychotherapy training: a qualitative study of trainees’ perspectives

Relational competence is a key determinant of psychotherapy outcomes, yet its development during training remains insufficiently understood. The present study adopts a qualitative, trainee-centered approach to examine how psychotherapy trainees conceptualize relational competences, evaluate their strengths and limitations, and identify the experiences most influential in their development. Forty-nine trainees from a four-year psychotherapy training program completed a structured interview, and data were analyzed using inductive qualitative content analysis. Findings revealed four main themes: i) the conceptualization of relational competence as a foundational and multidimensional component of clinical practice; ii) a predominantly external, patient-driven locus of validation for perceived strengths; iii) the context-dependent and relationally situated nature of perceived limitations; and iv) the central role of experiential learning contexts in fostering relational development. Overall, relational competence emerged as a dynamic and developmental construct, shaped by the integration of personal dispositions, experiential learning, and evolving professional identity. These findings highlight the need for training models that more effectively integrate experiential and reflective components while supporting the development of more internalized standards of professional competence.