Do residents get enough exposure to psychotherapy?
If the question is are Residents in Psychiatry exposed enough to psychotherapy as opposed to psycho-pharmacology, the answer is yes. Residents are first rotated to Psychiatrist as Medical Students. They spend significant time as Interns prior to completing Medical School then two years in Residency training including Inpatient and Outpatient Psychotherapy.
There is a strong commitment in the program to the development of sound psychotherapeutic skills, across all modalities of therapy, even in an era of diminished coverage for such services. We believe that psychotherapy is a powerful educational experience and aids significantly in general psychiatric competence. Dr. Karen Katunich, PhD, is the Director of Psychotherapy Training at WPIC. Training exists for brief psychotherapies [Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT) & Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)], family and group therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT), Motivational Interviewing and Supportive Psychotherapy Longitudinal Psychotherapy training is overseen by the Clinical Training Committee which is devoted solely to resident education. Residents first begin with lectures on psychotherapeutic principles during PGY-1 and PGY-2, followed by case assignments commencing in the middle of PGY-2. Longer term psychodynamic therapy remains an excellent training experience. At least one
