A conceptual and empirical review of the meaning, measurement, development, and teaching of intervention competence in clinical psychology

Through the course of this paper we discuss several fundamental issues related to the intervention competence of psychologists. Following definitional clarification and proposals for more strictly distinguishing competence from adherence, we interpret Dreyfus and Dreyfus's [Dreyfus, H.L., & Dreyfus, S.E. (1986). Mind over machine: The power of human intuition and expertise in the age of the computer. New York: Free Press.] five stage theory of competence development (from novice to expert) within a strictly clinical framework. Existing methods of competence assessment are then evaluated, and we argue for the use of new and multiple assessment modalities. Next, we utilize the previous sections as a foundation to propose methods for training and evaluating competent psychologists. Lastly, we discuss several potential impediments to large scale competence assessment and education, such as the heterogeneity of therapeutic orientations and what could be termed a lack of transparency in clinical training.