Teaching Trainees to Make Mistakes

Mistakes are common in everyday life, and psychotherapy is no exception. This article offers a model that identifies two types of mistakes: strategic mistakes, which occur when a significant misunderstanding is made in a patient's diagnosis or treatment plan, and tactical mistakes, which occur when the therapist, within a strategically well-designed therapy, makes inappropriate moves that produce adverse effects. Strategic mistakes, if appropriately analyzed, are good learning opportunities for trainees. Tactical mistakes are something more, because besides offering a chance to learn, they can also be seen as therapeutic opportunities. This article presents five steps to promote an effective use of mistakes in therapy: legitimation of the mistakes, cooperation with patients, awareness of our most common mistake patterns, true apologies, and identification of the healing meaning of each mistake.