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Good News and Bad News about Psychotherapy
Have you seen this month’s issue of, “The National Psychologist?” If you do counseling or psychotherapy, you should read it. The headline screams, “Therapy: No Improvement for 40 Years.” And while I did not know the article would be published, I was not surprised by the title nor it’s contents. The author and associate editor, — read more
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What to Pay Attention to in Therapy?
A week or so ago, I received an email from my friend, colleague, and mentor Joe Yeager. He runs a small listserve that sends out interesting and often provocative information. The email contained pictures from a new and, dare I say, ingenious advertising campaign for Colgate brand dental floss. Before I give you any of — read more
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The Importance of "Whoops" in Improving Treatment Outcome
“Ring the bells that still can ring, Forget your perfect offering There is a crack in everything, That’s how the light gets in.” Leonard Cohen, Anthem Making mistakes. We all do it, in both our personal and professional lives. “To err is human…,” the old saying goes. And most of us say, if asked, that we agree — 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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Error-centric Practice: How Getting it Wrong can Help you Get it Right
It’s an idea that makes intuitive sense but is simultanesouly unappealing to most people. I, for one, don’t like it. What’s more, it flies in the face of the "self-esteem" orientation that has dominated much of educational theory and practice over the last several decades. And yet, research summarized in a recent issue of Scientific American… — read more
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Deliberate Practice, Expertise, & Excellence
Later today, I board United flight 908 on my way to workshops scheduled in Holland and Belgium. My routine in the days leading up to an international trip is always the same. I slowly gather together the items I’ll need while away: computer (check); european electric adapter (check); presentation materials (check); clothes (check). And, oh yeah, two decks of playing cards… — read more
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Why ongoing, formal feedback is critical for improving outcomes in healthcare
Not long ago, I had a rather lengthy email exchange with a well-known, high profile psychotherapist in the United States. Feedback was the topic. We both agreed that feedback was central to successful psychotherapy. We differed, however, in terms of method. I argued for the use of simple, standardized measures of progress and alliance (e.g., ORS and SRS). In support… — read more