What is it about?
Why do some therapists seem more effective than others? This study explored the personal qualities—or character strengths—that may drive clinical success. Drawing on responses from 218 clinical psychologists and psychotherapists across four countries, we identified a hierarchical pattern of character strengths linked to higher self-perceived effectiveness. Foundational strengths include perseverance, love, curiosity, and enthusiasm. Honesty emerged as a central pillar, while perspective—understood as clinical wisdom—stood out as the key differentiator of top-tier therapists. These findings offer a preliminary framework for understanding and developing the human qualities that may contribute to excellence in psychotherapy.
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Why is it important?
Understanding what distinguishes the most effective therapists is critical for improving training, supervision, and professional development in psychotherapy. This study brings a novel strengths-based perspective, identifying a hierarchical pattern that separates successful therapists from their peers. The prominence of perspective (clinical wisdom) is especially noteworthy: it suggests that therapeutic excellence depends not only on technical skills but also on cultivable human qualities. These results can inform training programs and open new avenues for research into the qualities that underlie clinical excellence.
Perspectives
This study grew out of our curiosity about what makes some therapists truly exceptional. After years of working in classical psychotherapy and studying the literature on therapeutic effectiveness, we realized there was no common language to describe the human qualities that make a difference. The VIA-IS gave us that language. We were surprised by the centrality of honesty and, above all, by the prominence of perspective—clinical wisdom. We hope this work inspires other researchers to study these qualities systematically and helps therapists cultivate them throughout their careers.
Jorge A. Ramos
Instituto de Ciências Integradas
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This page is a summary of: Character strengths and therapist effectiveness: A hierarchical blueprint of clinical excellence., Professional Psychology Research and Practice, September 2026, American Psychological Association (APA),
DOI: 10.1037/pro0000702.
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