Training efforts for evidenced based treatments require evaluation, yet the value of practitioner self-reports of skills acquisition has been questioned. Thus, a key issue concerns how accurately practitioners assess their own clinical skills. In the current study, 23 community practitioners participated in training of Motivational Interviewing (MI), completed standardized patient (SP) interviews before and after training, and provided self-ratings of MI elements after each interview. Interview recordings were later coded independently. Results suggest training contributed to: 1) reasonable agreement between practitioner and independent ratings; and 2) more effective use of MI, despite a tendency for practitioners to underestimate training gains. This micro-analysis of training documents initial skill gains along with increased practitioner self-awareness. Further, it exemplifies how practitioner self-ratings and objective skill assessment methods may be used in tandem to more fully describe practitioner learning.
