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Agape
Over the last several months, I’ve been writing a series of short, but true stories from my life and work. I’ve been surprised by and am grateful for the positive response. All of the stories can be found on my substack account, called “Snippets.” Here’s one from early on in my career, a lesson about — read more
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A not so helpful, helping hand
“Your reach should exceed your grasp,” was one of my dad’s favorite sayings. Smile on his face, he would often add, “be prepared to end up empty handed” – which reminds me of a memory. I was seated on the right side of the room, in the aisle seat, second row from the front. As — read more
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Alas, it seems everyone comes from Lake Wobegon
You’ve heard of it, right? Lake Wobegon? The fictional town in Minnesota made famous by master story-teller, Garrison Keller. The place where, “all the people are strong, good-looking, and above average?” Turns out, if the city were “Psychotherapy,” it would not be a fictional place. Since 2012 when the first study appeared in the literature, — read more
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“My Mother Made Me Do It”: An Interview with Don Meichenbaum on the Origins of CBT (Plus: Tips for Surviving COVID-19)
Imagine having the distinction of being voted one of the top 10 most influential psychotherapists of the 20th Century. Psychologist Don Meichenbaum is that person. In his spare time, together with Arron Beck and Marvin Goldfried, he created the most popular and researched method of psychotherapy in use today: cognitive-behavior therapy (CBT). I got to — read more
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Questions and Answers about Feedback Informed Treatment and Deliberate Practice: Another COVID-19 Resource
Since they were developed and tested back in the late 90’s, the Outcome and Session Rating Scales have been downloaded by practitioners more than 100,000 times! Judging by the number of cases entered into the three authorized software applications, the tools have been used inform service delivery for millions of clients seeking care for different — read more
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It’s Time to Abandon the “Mean” in Psychotherapy Practice and Research
Recognize this? Yours will likely look at bit different. If you drive an expensive car, it may be motorized, with buttons automatically set to your preferences. All, however, serve the same purpose. Got it? It’s the lever for adjusting your car seat. I’m betting you’re not impressed. Believe it or not though, this little device — read more
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“What works” with eating disorders (and how long will it take the field to swallow these results)?
What works in the treatment of people with eating disorders? Search around a bit on the internet, or consult official treatment guidelines, and you’ll find cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and interpersonal therapy (IPT) listed as the “best-supported” or “preferred” psychological approaches for bulimia, anorexia, and binge eating. Such recommendations strongly imply such approaches contain ingredients specifically — read more
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Something BIG is Happening: The Demand for Routine Outcome Measurement from Funders
Something is happening. Something big. Downloads of the Outcome and Session Rating Scales have skyrocketed. The number of emails I receive has been steadily increasing. The subject? Routine outcome measurement. The questions: Where can I get copies of your measures? Paper and pencil versions are available on my website. What is the cost? Individual practitioners — read more
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“What about the Liars and Deniers?” Working Effectively with Mandated and Incarcerated Clients and People who Sexually Abuse
It was just a little over a month ago. I was doing a workshop somewhere in the States. My topic? Using formal client feedback to guide and improve the quality and outcome of psychotherapy– our SAMHSA-approved, NREPP listed evidence-based practice. At the first break, I was approached by one of the attendees. “I’m really enjoying — read more
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“I can’t let others know…”: Shame as a Barrier to Professional Development
Shame (noun \ˈshām\): Consciousness of shortcoming, guilt, or impropriety. Turns out, for many therapists, this powerful and painful emotion is a significant barrier to professional development. Doing psychotherapy is challenging in the best of circumstances. As many as 25% of clients drop out before experiencing a measureable improvement in their functioning. Of those who — read more
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“Mind the Gap”: A Strategy for Insuring you get the Feedback you need to Improve your Game (whatever that is)
Join me in a brief “thought experiment.” Suppose you were a gifted painter or photographer and had the chance to provide an image of yourself that would endure–and perhaps be the only one people would know you by–for hundreds of years after your death. How would you proceed? What criteria would guide your work, be — read more
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Implementing Feedback Informed Treatment
What do the Sydney Opera House, Boston Central Artery Tunnel, and Eurozone Typhoon Defense Project all have in common? In each case, their developers suffered from, “The Planning Fallacy” (PF). First recognized in 1979 by Nobel Prize winning psychologists Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky, the planning fallacy is the all too human tendency to underestimate — read more
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Therapist Wanted: Dead or Alive
Do you get those letters about the top healthcare providers in your area? At the beginning of the new year, our city’s local magazine publishes a list of the top healthcare providers. It’s a big deal. Organized by location and specialty, the issue contains full-page photos, glossy spreads, and breezy write-ups. Impressive stuff with a — read more
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An Easy Way to Improve Our Schools (and Psychotherapy)
There is this article that appeared a while ago in the Atlantic Monthly that stuck with me. In it, Amanda Ripley detailed a simple and straightforward method for improving the performance of the public schools: have kids grade teachers. What kind of grades you ask? Not those on standardized achievement tests, and certainly not measures of — read more
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A Lotta Help from One’s Friends: The Role of Community in the Pursuit of Excellence
Dateline: Chicago, IL USA Hard not to be impressed with the USA Women’s Gymnastic team. What skill, percision, expertise, and excellence. By now, I’m sure you’ve seen the interviews. In all instances, each and every one has focused on the team. Despite some in the media attempting to make stars out of the individual members,… — read more
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A Progress Report on the Science (and Art ) of Psychotherapy: The Psychotherapy Networker 30th Anniversary Edition
The 30th Anniversary Edition of the Psychotherapy Networker has hit newsstands. In it, is an article by Diane Cole taking the measure of psychotherapy. Her question? Has the field gotten any better over the last three decades? The entire issue is a "must read," starting with editor Rich Simon’s lengthy and thought provoking editorial, "Still… — read more
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Cutting Edge Feedback
Earth | Time Lapse View from Space, Fly Over | NASA, ISS Using feedback to guide and improve the quality and outcome of behavioral health services is growing in popularity. The number of systems available for measuring, aggregating, and interpreting the feedback provided by consumers is increasing. The question, of course, is, "which is best?" … — read more
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Making History in Delft, Holland: The Launch of the first Consumer-Driven Outcome Management App
Dateline: October 18, 2011 Chicago, Illinois USA Last week I was in Europe: three days in Norway, a week in Sweden, and a day in Holland. In a day or two, I’ll say more about developments in Norway and the launch of the largest study in history on FIT in Sweden. Meanwhile, I’m pleased to… — read more
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Achieving Clinical Excellence Conference 2013: CALL FOR PAPERS
Horsholm, Denmark Spent the weekend with the planning committe for the 2013 Achieving Clinical Excellence Conference. Committee members came in from all over the world–the USA, Romania, Holland, the UK, and Denmark–to finalize speakers, the conference venue, and mock up the logo for the conference brochure and advertizing. Like last time, we are not only bringing in the… — read more
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Am-ACE-ing Events in Kansas City: The First International Achieving Clinical Excellence Conference
Here’s a riddle for you: What do therapists, researchers, case managers, magicians, surgeons, award winning musicians, counselors, jugglers, behavioral health agency directors, and balloon twisting artists have in common? Answer: They all participated in the first "Achieving Clinical Excellence" held last week in Kansas City, Missouri. It’s true. The "motley" crew of presenters, entertainers, and attendees came to Kansas… — read more
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After the Thrill is Gone: Sustaining a Commitment to Routinely Seeking Feedback
Helsingor Castle (the setting for Shakespeare’s Hamlet) Dateline: May 8th, 2010, Helsingor, Denmark This weekend I’m in Denmark doing a two-day workshop on "Supershrinks" sponsored by Danish psychologist and ICCE Senior Associate and Trainer Susanne Bargmann. Just finished the first day with a group of 30 talented clinicians working diligently to achieve their personal best. The… — read more
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"What Works" in Holland: The Cenzo Experience
When it comes to healthcare, it can be said without risk of exaggeration that "revolution is in the air." The most sweeping legislation in history has just been passed in the United States. Elsewhere, as I’ve been documenting in my blogs, countries, states, provinces, and municipalities are struggling to maintain quality while containing costs of… — read more
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"What Works" in Norway
Dateline: Tromsø, Norway Place: Rica Ishavshotel For the last two days, I’ve had the privilege of working with 125+ clinicians (psychotherapists, psychologists, social workers, psychiatrists, and addiction treatment professionals) in far northern Norway. The focus of the two-day training was on "What Works" in treatment, in particular examining what constitutes "evidence-based practice" and how to… — read more