Do you know where you are going to…? Reflecting and reconsidering our relationship with training

Nancy Glenn, Ph.D. (University of San Francisco)

Di Sobel, Ph.D. (University of Kentucky)

Frances S. Diaz, Psy.D (University of California, Irvine)

ACCTA Conference 2018

Why This Presentation

• A little about us and our journey

Learning Objectives

1. Participants will be able to articulate factors that influence their

commitment to training and the training director role.

2. Participants will be able to identify how professional and

institutional factors impact their decision making about career trajectory.

3. Participants will be able to identify how their cultural and other

individual contextual factors contribute to decision making about career

trajectory.

Our Survey

We asked current and former members

• Total Sample: 133

• Current TDs= 104

• Former TDs= 29

ACCTA Membership

Years in the Training Director Position

0-2 years 3-5 years 6-10 years 11-15 years >15 years

Training Directors(n=133)

37(28%)

43(32%)

28(21%)

10(8%)

14(11%)

Current Training Directors(n=104)

37(35%)

30(29%)

21(20%)

6(6%)

10(10%)

Former Training Directors(29)

1(3%)

13(45%)

7(24%)

4(14%)

4(14%)

Influential Factors

Gains

More Gains

Sacrifices

Sacrifices Made

“I stayed in my job much longer than I probably should

have as other staff were quitting. I kept feeling guilty

about leaving the new interns, or the staff handling

changes, etc. As I type this out it sounds ridiculous but

I was the stability at our center for many years.”

“The overall quality of my

work and my functioning in

my various roles/identities

(parent, partner, friend)”

What we need to Thrive as a TD

Leaving or Staying?

Considerations in applying, declining, or accepting Director Positions

“Belief in my skills to lead

and grow an organization”

“Wonder about next professional steps

when there was significant staff

turnover at my site including search for

a new director”

“The ability to control

the clinical system in

a way that seems to

fit my belief system.”

“I was Acting Director for 4

months & decided it

wasn’t a good fit for me. I

was grateful that I had that

experience so that I didn’t

make a grave professional

mistake!”

Factors Contributing to Staying or Leaving TD Role

“It’s probably no a coincidence that I finally decided to

leave the TD position about a year after completing

my APA accreditation process.”

“I checked off reasons I left,

but the commitment to training

and passion for it kept me in

the job for a long time.” “I’m guessing my gender role socialization (cultural

identities) were part of the reason I stayed. I was

socialized to take care of others, and that’s what I did in

the TD role.”

“For the longest time ACCTA

helped me stay in it. Without

the support I received from

ACCTA, I wouldn’t have lasted

as long as I did. “Unfortunately, because of the size/nature

of our center, I still get sucked into center

and university policies, but because of my

position in training I can often defer to our

Director.”

Where have people considered going?

Experiential Exercise

Please create a timeline of your journey toward becoming a Training Director. Include the following in your timeline (give examples of timelines—ours/others?):

a. Important Professional experiences/moments

b. Important personal experiences/moments

c. Identities and values associated with them that influenced your becoming/being a TD

d. Barriers/supports you experienced in becoming/being a TD

e. Where are things now (including barriers/supports)?

Timeline/Life Map Example

And more. . . . .

And more. . . . .

2. Share your timeline with someone else in the room. . . .

3. What was it like to create it?

4. What was it like to share it?

5. Take 2 minutes right now to reflect on where you want to go in your career/personal life with regard to your commitment to training.

6. What is your personal/professional next step in moving towards that goal?

7. Where are you in terms of Prochaska’s Stages of Change? Precontemplation? Contemplation? Preparation? Action? Maintenance?

8 On a sticky note, please write down 1 action step that you can take in order to move towards where you want to go.

9. Put the sticky note on one of the posters around the room:a. More reflection

b. Acquire resources (administrative, financial, physical, time, emotional)

c. Consult with. . . .

d. Make a change

e. Other

10. Walk around the room and read some of the actions that others are planning to take for themselves. Take a moment to reflect on your plan and on those that you see from others.

11. What was it like to go through this process? To think about taking a step forward? Seeing what others are thinking about and planning?

References• Dorociak, K.C., Rupert, P.A., & Zahniser, E. (2017). Work life, well-being and

self-care across the lifespan of psychologists. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 48 (6), 429-437.

• Lips-Wiersma, M. & Wright, S. (2012). Measuring the meaning of meaningful work: Development and validation of the comprehensive meaningful work scale (CMWS). Group Organization and Management, 37 (5), 655-685.

• Rupert, P.A., & Kent, J.S. (2007). Gender and work setting differences in career-sustaining behaviors and burnout among professional psychologists. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 38 (1), 88-96.