The legendary cellist Pablo Casals was once interviewed by comedian George Carlin.  When asked why, at age 93, he continued to practice three hours a day, Casals replied, “I’m beginning to show some improvement!”

Hard not to feel inspired and humbled by such dedication, eh?  And while humorous, Casals was not joking.  Across a wide variety of domains (e.g., sports, computer programming, teaching), deliberate practice leads to better results.   Indeed, our recent study of mental health practitioners documented a growth in effectiveness consistent with performance improvements obtained by elite atheletes.

The January 2018 issue of the APA monitor includes a detailed article on the subject.   Staff writer Tori DeAngelis lays out the process of applying deliberate practice strategies to clinical work in clear, step-by-step terms.  Best of all, it’s free–even continuing education credits are available if you need them.