July 19, 2021

An Incomplete List of Everything Wrong with Therapist Education

39 minutes

An interview with Diane Gehart, LMFT, on what works in therapy and where the field is headed. Curt and Katie talk with Diane about the overwhelming amount of information new therapists must learn in school and how this impacts their confidence. We also explore how the field is moving towards synthesizing theories and how this will impact future clinicians.

It’s time to reimagine therapy and what it means to be a therapist. To support you as a whole person and a therapist, your hosts, Curt Widhalm and Katie Vernoy talk about how to approach the role of therapist in the modern age.

Interview with Diane Gehart, LMFT

Diane Gehart, Ph.D. is Professor in the Marriage and Family Therapy and Counseling Programs at California State University, Northridge and has a private practice in Agoura Hills, California. She has authored several professional books including Mindfulness for Chocolate Lovers: A Lighthearted Way to Stress Less and Savor More Each Day, Mindfulness and Acceptance in Couple and Family Therapy Mastering Competencies in Family Therapy, Theory and Treatment Planning in Counseling and Psychotherapy.

In this episode we talk about:

Who Diane Gehart is and what she has (and continues) to contribute to the field.

Diane discusses what is wrong with therapist education and how it impacts newer therapists.

How we can help students feel more confident when they enter the field, while still providing a good education.

The abundance of theories students need to learn in graduate school and how the future of the field will be synthesis of theories.

How the synthesis of theories will impact testing for licensure.

Diane discusses how focusing on client outcomes and finding quality training can support confidence in new clinicians.

How cultural considerations can be included in the synthesis of theories.

Using the client’s reality/perspective to make therapy work, rather than focusing on interventions.

Explore how different parts of the field (e.g., clinicians, researchers, educators) contribute to what is wrong with therapist education.

The need for synthesized information to be more widely available to make more competent therapists.

Balancing helping clinicians to feel more confident while also encouraging them to be self-motivated to learn.

What are the best things clinicians can do right now to improve their confidence?

Resources mentioned:

We’ve pulled together resources mentioned in this episode and put together some handy-dandy links. Please note that some of the links below may be affiliate links, so if you purchase after clicking below, we may get a little bit of cash in our pockets. We thank you in advance!

Diane Gehart

Therapy That Works

Mastering Competencies

Mindfulness at Our Schools

Diane on YouTube

...more