brief therapy – Scott D.Miller

Barriers to seeking mental health care

With all the challenges facing the profession, it is important to highlight people and organizations that are working hard to make a difference. On that note, tomorrow, Tuesday the 25th of September 2012 is the very first National Psychotherapy Day. Having a day of unified, active promotion of psychotherapy is the brain child… — read more
Mental Health Practice in a Global Economy

Did you feel it? The seismic shift that occurred in field of mental health just a little over a month ago? No? Nothing? Well, in truth, it wasn’t so much a rip in the space-time continuum as a run. That "run," however, promises to forever alter the fabric of clinical practice–in particular how clinicians earn… — read more
Excellence "Front and Center" at the Psychotherapy Networker Conference

This year, the Psychotherapy Networker is celebrating it’s 35th anniversary. I’m not going to let on how long I’ve been a reader and subscriber, but I can say that I eagerly anticipate each issue. Rich Simon and his incredibly dedicated and talented crew always seem to have their fingers on the pulse of the… — read more
Psychologist Alan Kazdin Needs Help: Please Give

Look at this picture. This man needs help. He is psychologist, Alan Kazdin, former president of the American Psychological Association, and current Professor of Psychology at Yale University. A little over a week ago, to the surprise and shock of many in the field, he disclosed a problem in his professional life. In an interview… — read more
Is Psychotherapy Dead?

"AMERICANS PREFER DRUGS" screams the headline posted by the Reuters news service and attributed to Consumer Reports–one of the most respected periodical for the average American reader. "NEARLY 80 PERCENT TAKE A PILL FOR DEPRESSION," the article continues. Read a little further and do some searching around on the internet and a different story emerges. Americans it turns… — read more
The World Did Not End: What it a Bad Thing?

May 25th, 2011 Chicago, Illinois On Saturday the 21st of May, 2011 the world was supposed to come to an end. It did not. My question: was that a bad thing? Would it have been better if, as the now twice wrong Prophet Harold Camping predicted, the world had ended. In the world of public… — read more
The "F" Word in Behavioral Health

Since the 1960’s, over 10,000 how-to books on psychotherapy/counseling have been published—everything from nude marathon group therapy to the most recent “energy-based treatments.” Clinicians have at their disposal literally hundreds of methods to apply to an ever growing list of diagnoses as codified in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (soon available in… — read more
Cha-cha-cha-changes on a Grand Scale: Think Tank Meets in Chicago

David Mee-Lee, MD Bill Miller, Ph.D. Scott D. Miller, Ph.D. Jim Prochaska, Ph.D. Don Kuhl, CEO Change is in the air. Whether in the United States or Europe, Asia or Australia, the field of behavioral health is undergoing a period of dramatic change. Some would say, "transformation." At least that’s the verdict of the group… — read more
Implementing Consumer-Driven, Outcome-Informed (CDOI) Behavioral Health Services: The ICCE and 2010 Training of Trainers Event

This week I’m in Calgary, Canada. Last week, I was in Charleston, South Carolina. Next week, I’ll be in Marion, Ohio and Bay city, Michigan. In each instance, I’m working with the management and staff of public behavioral health agencies that are busy implementing consumer-driven, outcome-informed clinical work. Some of the groups are just beginning… — read more
Eruptions in Europe and in Research

Dateline: 11:20 am, April 18th, 2010 Today I was supposed to fly from Stockholm, Sweden to the far northern town of Skelleftea–a flight that takes a little over an hour. Instead, I’m sitting on a train headed for Sundsvall, the first leg of a 12 hour trip that will include a 6 hour bus ride… — read more
Neurobabble Redux: Comments from Dr. Mark Hubble on the Latest Fad in the World of Therapy Spark Comment and Controversy

Last week, my long time colleague and friend, Dr. Mark Hubble blogged about the current interest of non-medically trained therapists in the so-called "neurobiology of human behavior." In my intro to his post, I "worried" out loud about the field’s tendency to search for legitimzing foundational metaphors. Over the years, psychotherapy has flirted with… — read more
Neurobabble: Comments from Dr. Mark Hubble on the Latest Fad in the World of Therapy

Rarely does a day go by without hearing about another "advance" in the neurobiology of human behavior. Suddenly, it seems, the world of psychotherapy has discovered that people have brains! And now where the unconscious, childhood, emotions, behaviors, and cognitions once where…neurons, plasticity, and magnetic resonance imagining now is. Alas, we are a field forever… — read more
Addressing the Financial Crisis in Public Behavioral Healthcare Head On in Chesterfield, Virginia

If you are following me on Twitter (and I hope you are), you know the last month has been extremely busy. This week I worked with clinicians in Peterborough, Ontario Canada. Last week, I was in Nashville, Tennessee and Richmond Virginia. Prior to that, I spent nearly two weeks in Europe, providing training and consultations in the… — read more
The Turn to Outcomes: A Revolution in Behavioral Health Practice

Get ready. The revolution is coming (if not already here). Whether you are a direct service provider (psychologist, counselor, marriage and family therapist), agency, broker, or funder, you will be required to measure and likely report the outcomes of your clinical work. Jay Lebow, Ph.D. Just this month, Dr. Jay Lebow, a professor of psychology at the… — read more
Behavioral Healthcare in Holland: The Turn Away from the Single-payer, Government-Based Reimbursement System

Several years ago I was contacted by a group of practitioners located in the largest city in the north of the Netherlands–actually the capital of the province known as Groningen. The "Platform," as they are known, were wondering if I’d be willing to come and speak at one of their upcoming conferences. The practice environment was undergoing dramatic change,… — read more
The Evolution of Psychotherapy: Meeting Michael Hoyt

I’m still reeling from the experience in Anaheim this last week. I met so many leaders in the field, heard so many presentations on cutting edge clinical practice–as well as was reminded of some "classic" principles of effective psychotherapy. One of the people I met was colleague and friend, Michael F. Hoyt, Ph.D. Michael and… — read more
The Crown Jewel of Research on CDOI: Professor Jan Blomqvist receives 2.9 million crown grant for RCT on feedback in Sweden

If you’ve been following me on Twitter, then you know that last week I was touring and teaching in different spots around Europe. First, I presented two days in Copenhagen. Then I keynoted the British Association of Counseling and Psychotherapy Conference in Newcastle, England. Early Saturday morning, I flew from London to Stockholm. My long time friend… — read more
How NOT to Achieve Clinical Excellence: The Sorry State of Continuing Professional Education

Greg Neimeyer, Ph.D., is causing quite a stir in continuing education circles. What has he done? In several scholarly publications, he’s reviewed the existing empirical literature and found that continuing professional education in heavioral health is not particularly, well, …educational. Indeed, in a soon-to-be published piece in the APA journal, Professional Psychology, he notes, "While the majority of studies… — read more
On the Path of the Supershrinks: An Article by Bill Robinson

Not too long ago, my colleagues and I published some preliminary thoughts and findings from our research into "Supershrinks." That differences in effectiveness exist between clinicians is neither surprising or new. Indeed, "therapist effects"–as they are referred to in the research literature–have been documented for decades and rival the contribution of factors long known to… — read more
Excellence in Behavioral Health in Arizona

For those of you following me on Twitter (and if you’re not already, please do as it’s a blast), you know I was teaching at the 41st Annual Southwestern School for Behavioral Health Studies. First, let me express my appreciation to the Board and Michelle Brown for bringing me to Tucson to present on “Achieving… — read more