Self-Care & Development
This section emphasizes the importance of self-care and continuous professional development for psychotherapists. Discover resources and strategies to maintain personal well-being and foster growth throughout your career in psychotherapy.
132 articles found
Forgiving Hoffman
I have been thinking a lot recently about the concept of forgiveness, probably because, truth be told, I am not very good at it. If resentment really is “like drinking poison and then hoping it will kill your enemies,” as Nelson Mandela has been said to caution (Durando, 2013), then I’m pretty sure I should […]
Rayna D. Markin, Ph.D.
August 17, 2016
The Impact of a Mindfulness Intervention on Burnout Levels in Direct Care Staff
Studies have found burnout is prevalent among mental health workers (Paris & Hoge, 2010), with 21% to 67% endorsing “high” levels of burnout (Morse, Salyers, Rollins, Monroe-DeVita, & Pfahler, 2012). Burnout occurs when individuals are unable to effectively cope with high levels of prolonged occupational stress. Burnout can be characterized by three distinct dimensions: emotional […]
Francesca Lewis-Hatheway, Psy.D. + 1 more
August 7, 2016
7 Ways to Be More Mindful
The incorporation of a Westernized and decontextualized version of mindfulness into psychotherapy over the last two decades has been a significant trend, while for a hip segment of the popular culture, it has become nothing less than a rage. Although not yet as ubiquitous in the marketplace as yoga, it is certainly nipping at its […]
Steven J. Hendlin, Ph.D.
July 31, 2016
Humility
“The humble man makes room for progress; the proud man believes he is already there.” Ed Parker (1983) In their series of articles, Tracey and colleagues (Tracey, Wampold, Goodyear, & Lichtenberg, 2015; Tracey, Wampold, Lichtenberg, & Goodyear, 2014) explore barriers psychotherapists face in developing expertise. Specifically, Tracey et al. (2014, 2015) noted that psychotherapists often (a) […]
Joshua N. Hook, Ph.D. + 3 more
March 20, 2016
Personal Reflection on Suicidal Ideation Within Psychotherapy
Most states in the U.S. require a psychotherapist to break confidentiality when a client verbalizes suicidal intent (National Conference of State Legislatures, 2013). The purpose of this paper is to share a personal reflection on suicidal ideation within the therapeutic relationship, and to question whether a psychotherapist’s ethical responsibility and personal morality are consistently clear-cut. […]
Chantal Bushelle
January 24, 2016
Psychotherapy with Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Clients
Psychotherapy with Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Clients Psychotherapy is a complex and often vulnerable experience for clients, and the therapy relationship is vital to the process and success of psychotherapy (Gelso & Carter, 1994). The therapy relationship has been conceptualized as a Tripartite Model (Gelso, 2014) which posits that the therapy relationship consists of three […]
Frances A. Kelley, Ph.D. + 1 more
December 6, 2015
New Mentoring Hour Program for Early Career Psychologists
When Early Career Psychologists (ECPs) are asked what they want from the professional organizations to which they belong, the answer almost always includes “mentorship.” Yet, mentoring programs can be difficult to get moving off the ground. Perhaps one reason for this is that while it sounds simple in theory, mentorship is actually a complicated endeavor […]
Rayna D. Markin, Ph.D.
September 22, 2015
A Multi-site Study of Mindfulness Training for Therapists
The past decade has seen a spike in research testing the use of mindfulness in the treatment of many physical and mental health problems. As one example of the increasing popularity, a PsycInfo search using the keyword “mindfulness” identified 2,672 peer-reviewed articles published through 2014. When citations are separated by year, the recent popularity is […]
Joshua K. Swift, Ph.D. + 1 more
July 21, 2015
The Role of Vulnerability and Peer-Supervision in Establishing Clinical Competency
With the growing emphasis on Evidence-Based Psychotherapies (EBPs) it is important to take notice that in the community there are generally no assurances of fidelity to a treatment methodology. Consider the following scenario: A young man experiencing symptoms of Panic Disorder is advised by a savvy primary care physician to seek psychotherapy. This gentleman does […]
Scott H. Waltman, Psy.D., ABPP + 1 more
July 13, 2015
The Diversity of Perfectionism and the Early Career Psychologist
We used to think things would only get easier after graduate school. To even be considered for doctoral study required perfection: astronomical GRE scores, great field experiences, and evidence of research potential. The pace only picked up during graduate training. We now needed to earn top grades in each and every domain of psychology, become […]
Kevin S. McCarthy, Ph.D. + 1 more
June 2, 2015
An Important Aspect of Educational Orientation in Psychotherapy Supervision
In my supervision practice, I work with doctoral students at the beginning of their work as therapists. These students have either had no therapeutic experience or limited experience. As Chessick (1971) indicated, three critical issues often confront therapists in their shift from classroom to clinic: (a) learning to manage anxiety early on during the treatment […]
C. Edward Watkins, Jr., Ph.D.
May 6, 2015
Stuck in the Middle
As the oldest child in my family, I do not have a lot of experience with what it is like to be in the middle. However, as I transition from an early-career to mid-career psychologist, I find that I am quickly learning. Whether the middle child or a mid-career psychologist, you are no longer the […]
Rayna D. Markin, Ph.D.
February 19, 2015