An apprenticeship model in the training of psychotherapy students. Study protocol for a randomized controlled trial and qualitative investigation.

To the best of our knowledge, this is the first controlled study to investigate the impact of apprenticeship as an isolated training component in the education of clinical psychologists. The study is designed so as to yield a comprehensive understanding of an approach which could prove to be a valuable supplement to the existing educational methods in this field and ultimately, contribute to improve the quality of mental health care.