Psychology Trainees With Competence Problems: From Individual to Ecological Conceptualizations

Problems with professional competence or impairment in psychology have been viewed almost exclusively as residing within the individual trainee or psychologist, with limited attention to the contexts in which such difficulties are embedded. The authors propose an ecological perspective (Bronfenbrenner, 1979, 1989, 1995) to capture the influence of multiple factors that affect trainee development and provide a stronger base from which to conceptualize and address problems of professional competence. The authors describe Bronfenbrenner's ecological model and use it as a framework to understand professional competence problems, recommend best practices for prevention and intervention, and suggest future research directions.