You may have heard terms like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy or psychoanalysis that describe different schools of thought or orientations for therapy. At last count, there are a few hundred validated orientations to psychotherapy. Which may cause you to ask, “With so many to choose from, which one is the best for me?”

For most of us who are considering entering therapy, the therapist’s orientation tends to be far less predictive of successful therapy than the match of the two people in the room. When I was attending a talk from Dr. Dan Siegel, a psychiatrist who is a major thought leader on therapy, he said that a way a client can know if it’s a good match is when the client “feels felt” by the therapist. In other words, the client feels safe and deeply understood.

That being said, there are many ways for a therapist to reach a client. I thought it would be cool for you to get to hear a conversation between two psychologists who love the craft and who love geeking out to it, so you’d have a behind-the-scenes look at how two active therapists think about therapy. In addition to therapeutic orientation, having multiple tools to connect with clients can assist the therapeutic process. These tools obviously include empathy and attunement. They can include the scope of knowledge to create good metaphors, improv skills, and being able to land salient stories that can direct a person to their truth.

So, with great enthusiasm, I bring you the thoughtful and creative, Dr. Michael Alcee (https://michaelalcee.com/). Mike is a psychologist in private practice in Tarrytown, NY, and the author of a book I loved called Therapeutic Improvisation: How to Stop Winging It and Own It as a Therapist. He is also a pianist, a mental health educator at the Manhattan School of Music, and a lover of the arts which informs his therapy. SuperPsyched guest, Lori Gottlieb reviewed his book and said that Mike succeeded in showing how creativity can be taught and “illuminating the artistry that inspires the work we do as therapists."

So, listen in as Mike and I talk about the factors that account for good therapy.

Book Link: https://amzn.to/3qGJPxK This is an affiliate link. It will provide me with a small commission on purchases made through it and help the podcast (but it won’t affect the price you pay).