Jordan Harris’s research while affiliated with Antioch University, Los Angeles and other places

The value of skillfully adopting a multicultural orientation (MCO) in psychotherapy has been increasingly recognized. Deliberate practice methods may be helpful in developing this capacity, but limited opportunities for practice and feedback exist. The present study provided an initial test of the feasibility, usability, and acceptability of a self-guided, web-based deliberate practice tool designed to support the development of therapists’ MCO: MCO Deliberate Practice Online (MCO-O). This tool included brief didactic instructions along with opportunities to practice responding to video vignettes of actors portraying clients discussing cultural topics in psychotherapy. A sample of therapists and trainees (n = 287) visited the MCO-O website and consented to the study. Recruitment through emails to listservs and a webinar was highly feasible. Quantitative ratings of usability were modest. Quantitative metrics of acceptability were also modest, with a minority of participants (18.8%) visiting the MCO-O website more than once and 51.2% of participants viewing two or more of the video vignettes. Younger participants found the MCO-O website more usable, and having MCO-O assigned was associated with watching more videos, when controlling for participant demographics. Qualitative themes included a mixture of positive feedback along with critiques and confusion regarding the MCO-O website. Taken together, results highlight the potential of this approach along with important limitations. Ultimately, it may prove difficult for therapists and trainees to engage in self-guided MCO training, particularly if using software tools that have not undergone extensive (and potentially resource intensive) user experience testing and development.