“Would you like to watch Spiderman? It’s on TV right now.” I asked my son one Saturday morning. “I don’t watch THIS Spiderman show dad,” he said as if I should’ve known better. “It’s boring. I saved a different Spiderman show on the DVR. It’s way cooler.” In that moment, my six-year-old son unknowingly reminded [...]

Each year I have at least 2-3 students who want to start their Private Practice ASAP! They see that as the only option; a chance for freedom and success on their own. Many seasoned therapists shudder at the idea of a newly graduated student going into Private Practice “too soon”. I think about how I [...]

Several professors in my graduate program recommend that students participate in therapy if they want to become excellent therapists. For the longest time, I nodded my head, smiled, and thought, “That’s a good idea. Maybe one day I’ll call and make an appointment.” That one day turned into a year. When considering beginning my own [...]

What do we think of ourselves and our clients? Does that even matter? Yes it does. The assumptions, biases, and beliefs we hold about ourselves and our clients affect everything you and the client do in therapy. The phenomenon called hologram explains how our beliefs (good and bad) about our clients and their conditions may [...]

You’re a counselor, so I know you’ve had the experience of listening to someone with your complete attention. But have you ever had someone listen to you with complete attention? I trust you have. It felt great, didn’t it? So how would you feel if you had about 80 people listening to you with complete [...]

What is the etiology of the psychological distress we purport to treat? Some of you keen counseling philosophers have already become suspicious of my question, so I’ll ask it again in its most common form! What is the cause of mental “illness”? Now, if you’re feeling that sinking sensation in the pit of your stomach, [...]

Networking. This seems like a term from the 80’s or Wall Street. Maybe today we think of forming connections. Partnering. Collaborating. “Call it a clan, call it a network, call it a family; whatever you call it, whoever you are, you need one.” (Jane Howard) And whatever you call it counselors still need to do [...]

SHMILY has been a part of our marriage from as far back as I can remember. Early on my wife and I read a short article from a couple who regularly enjoyed showing each other acts of love. Each kind gesture was accompanied by a five-letter acronym “SHMILY.” The acronym stood for “See How Much [...]