My client began her session with an interesting saga. In an attempt to improve her health she began each day by ingesting a nutritional drink that was loaded with nearly 100 superfoods. Since I personally take enough vitamin and mineral supplements a day to capsize a small battleship, I was all ears. Unfortunately, my client lamented that the supplement seemed counter-productive. That is to say, instead of having unlimited energy, she was nearly falling asleep at the wheel on the…
How Therapists Fail: Why Too Many Clients Drop Out of Therapy Prematurely
If we could learn from all of our less-than-optimal therapy outcomes, we'd really acquire some true clinical wisdom. Here are some practical tips to increase your odds of success.
Duped and Recouped
Empathy and compassion generally serve us well with our clients, but aren't necessarily the skills we need to navigate the world of running a practice. This story, excerpted from Duped: Lies and Deception in Psychotherapy serves as a cautionary tale.
Mark Epstein on Mindfulness and Psychotherapy
Psychiatrist and author Epstein discusses his introduction to mindfulness meditation, dealing with desire, disappointment, and more.
Working with the Unemotional in Emotionally Focused Therapy
It is pretty clear from the research that focuses on how change happens in therapy that emotional engagement is essential for significant change to occur. This is true in individual therapy (for example, research by Castonguay and by Beutler) and it is certainly true in couple therapy (research by EFT therapists like myself). So what happens in an intervention like Emotionally Focused Couple therapy when one person emphatically denies or avoids emotion? The Boy Code insists that men are at…
Why a Therapist Should Care About a Clients Favorite Brand of Shampoo
When I was a youngster my father owned a company that manufactured shampoos and hair conditioners. His bestseller was the original Rum & Egg Shampoo, a product he invented himself. Now here’s where the story gets a little humorous (or perhaps not so humorous depending on your vantage point). We would routinely receive correspondence from folks who just loved the Rum & Egg . . . heck, they thought it was the best darn shampoo on the face of the…
Receiving Gifts in Psychotherapy
What does your ethical code say about accepting gifts from clients? Is it ethical to do so? If you’re a psychologist, social worker, or marriage and family therapist, you’re probably not sure. That’s because your official code doesn’t address it. Surprisingly, there’s not a word about gifts in any of the codes pertaining to those disciplines. And yet, virtually every mental health practitioner has, or will, face a situation where some client offers a gift of some sort at some…
Memories of Stonehenge, 1984: Conference of Women Family Therapists
In the summer of 1981 I was traveling around Ireland with Lynn Hoffman who was at that time- and for a great many years- a tremendous supporter of the work of a numerous others in family therapy. She was at that time especially supportive of therapy teams in many different places in the world and was telling me a good deal about all the creative women she had run into in her travels. I began to think about the need…
Its the Psychiatric Meds, Stupid!
When a client climbs out from under the shroud of depression, the question of whom to thank arises – her own brave perseverance in therapy, or big pharma. Howard Rosenthal was delighted to hear her answer.
Empowering Clients in Couples Therapy
When I do couple therapy, I bring partners in on my concerns about what is happening in the session. If I am concerned that one partner might feel I’m siding against him or her, I might say, “Ben, I’ve just realized I spent more time today developing Lisa’s position today than I have yours. Is that your sense, too? And if so, do you feel left out or sided against or ganged up on?” The person (here Ben) often responds…