George Washington University

Dr. Cheri Marmarosh

This project at George Washington University (GWU) develops and evaluates an innovative, culture-centered, psychodynamic graduate training model that integrates student virtue formation (VF) and flourishing alongside traditional clinical skills training in professional psychology.

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Addressing a critical gap in mental health education, the project proactively equips graduate trainees with the relational virtues and skills necessary to sustain well-being, build relationships with colleagues, and engage openly with supervision and clinical training. With burnout and emotional strain increasingly common even among trainees, the project recognizes that personal and professional flourishing are deeply interconnected—and that cultivating relational virtues is essential to both.

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Relational Virtues at the Core

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The training model emphasizes key relational virtues, including self and other compassion, humility, and tolerance for uncertainty, which are foundational to therapist resilience, ethical practice, and effective clinical work. These virtues are intentionally embedded across multiple components of the curriculum:

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• Didactic Discussion Series on Virtue Formation: Monthly faculty-led, breakfast group discussions focus on self-compassion, self-acceptance, and meaning-making in psychology, using interactive and relational processes to support student flourishing.

• Group Relational Experiences: Bi-weekly, online support groups, with non-faculty expert group leaders, foster compassion and humility toward others and support curiosity and openness to differences.

• Self-Reflection and Experiential Learning: An experiential writing intervention within qualitative research coursework encourages ongoing reflection on well-being, personal strengths, barriers to flourishing, and professional identity development.

• Training Modules on Perfectionism, Flourishing, and Community Dialogue: Dedicated workshops led by experts address perfectionism, humility, and self-acceptance, while teaching skills such as empathy, active listening, and managing emotional reactivity when engaging in challenging dialogues. Exploring the impact of systems as well as power dynamics as they naturally influence conversations and community.

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Significance and Innovation

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This project is innovative in several keyways:

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• Proactive Virtue Formation Curriculum: Rather than treating well-being as secondary or reactive, the model intentionally cultivates relational virtues as core professional competencies. This is in line with the psychodynamic approach of embracing the whole person instead of treating symptoms.

• Integration Within Existing Training: VF components are woven throughout training and group experiences, ensuring virtues are embedded in everyday professional development.

• Focus on Relational and Group Processes: The project examines how cohort belonging, group climate, and a sense of mattering influence virtue development and flourishing in graduate school. Promoting a culture that values VF is way of preventing burnout during graduate school.

• Rigorous Mixed-Methods, Longitudinal Evaluation: Quantitative and qualitative methods assess changes in virtue development, flourishing, clinical self-efficacy, and vulnerability factors over time.

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Impact

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By addressing gaps in graduate training related to virtue formation and well-being, this project aims to reduce burnout and promote flourishing in the mental health professions. The model has the potential to strengthen therapeutic relationships, improve client outcomes, and promote a more compassionate, sustainable approach to care. If effective, the curriculum can be shared and adapted across training programs nationally.