Just as in any profession, we as therapists’ want to be successful in our work.

But in therapy, how do we define and measure ‘success’?

Usually we use our insight, intuition, and techniques to coax and persuade our clients to take the next step forward.

When the client moves forward, we express our approval. Their progress often gives us a sense of satisfaction, and we might even give ourselves a ‘pat on the back’ for helping them out. We feel good knowing that our time and effort have made a difference. …And they lived happily ever after…

But what about those clients, who for whatever reason, - don’t get the memo. Although they may come in regularly for their sessions, they do not follow through with the necessary steps that indicate real progress. They seem oblivious to our advice and suggestions, Even when we utilize all of our best techniques… Nothing seems to work for them!  

And the worst part is - they don’t even realize that for us to be ‘successful’, we rely on their cooperation! From our vantage point in the therapist’s chair, it is very clear who is at fault when progress is not happening. So now what?!

But did you catch what’s going on here? There’s something off!

If the therapist’s success is defined by the client’s outward progress, this can never be considered as true success because it will always depend on the client’s motivation and willingness to participate - which is out of our control. 

This podcast will explore how therapists can feel truly successful without relying on the client’s cooperation or emphasis on behavioral progress.

Many therapists’ often view their role as ‘helping the client repair trauma.’ But what does this exactly mean? What is the trauma that needs repair? Does this refer to repairing thoughts, emotions, relationships, perception, self-esteem, being present? Did I miss any? And if you say - repairing ’all of the above’, then OK, - but where do we start? Which is part of trauma needs the most repairing?

You might say – Well the client has to decide that… But the person may have been so traumatized that they don’t even know where to begin.

In this podcast we will explore basic questions around the idea of ‘repair’. We will look at the client’s resistance and role in this process, and how the therapist can best support the client in the ‘repair process’ to let go of the past, and facilitate a better future.

If you ask most therapists whether doing therapy is ‘hard or easy’ the majority would say that “Doing therapy is hard”. After all, it’s not so easy to get people to change their behavior. You have to convince, encourage, motivate, or reward them. And with a little luck - maybe, maybe, change will eventually happen; but only if the client puts in the ‘time and effort’.

But there’s a problem here!

If the therapist thinks it’s hard for people to change, then automatically the message the client gets is that ‘changing must be hard’. So very often the client ends up confirming the therapist’s bias.

The podcast has a short video segment from a reality TV show called ‘Couples Therapy’. It follows a therapist as she works with different couples. To be honest, I felt sorry for the therapist because her expectation was that the nature of therapy is that it’s going to be a struggle, and therefore she herself was working ‘very hard’ to process their issues. As a result, the clients were also very intense and serious during sessions. I found the atmosphere to be very heavy, with everybody, including the therapist, struggling. So it was no big surprise when each couple discovered that they had deeply ingrained problems that would need a lot of time and effort to overcome. I got exhausted just watching how hard therapy is ‘supposed to be’.

But maybe there’s another way. When the therapist learns to do therapy easy, then clients pick up on that – and the therapy process becomes relaxed and open – which allows change to happen in a light and EZ way…

One of the biggest issues in therapy is working through childhood trauma. Our development during childhood is significant since these early experiences formulate our most basic assumptions of who we are, the nature of the world, and whether our very existence is safe or in danger. In many ways, our childhood experiences define our view and understanding of ourselves, our world, and our ability to navigate our surroundings.

Of course, the major impact of our childhood ‘imprint’ experiences is most often influenced by the degree and type of parental nurturing; whether we were protected or neglected; whether we were appreciated or considered a burden, etc. To some degree there is scientific evidence that we may even inherit certain genetic parental tendencies, talents, and mental or emotional outlooks. It is often these underlying parental attitudes that develop into the unspoken and hidden dynamics of who people are prone to become as adults. In this podcast we will explore the best methods and techniques to overcome deep inner childhood trauma that may have had a profound imprint on subconscious perceptions and attitudes.  

Everybody knows CBT works. Research indicates positive results, and it is often described as an ‘evidence based treatment’. However, the question is – Why does it work?

There have been efforts to ‘deconstruct’ CBT’ and break down treatment videos in order to isolate and identify those aspect(s) that consistently influence positive change. Research tried to figure out whether the key to success was in helping the client recognize their - cognitive distortions; thinking errors; problematic core beliefs; rigid black and white thinking; or something else? And what did the research find??  – None of the above.

In fact the research couldn’t figure out why it works!

So while they know it works!

They just don’t know ‘why’.

However, in this podcast we will reveal the ‘secret ingredient’ that propels CBT’s success.

And the answer will surprise you!

In fact - it is sooo obvious, that you’ll wonder why you didn’t think of it yourself…

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is still in its early stages. But by all accounts, it is already the next major phase in the ongoing technological revolution. With AI’s help, we already have driverless cars, and robots that can perform complicated surgeries, among other advances. Corporate executives are using AI programs like CHATgpt to produce detailed reports, generate company presentations, create fund raising campaigns, and much more.

In psychotherapy, AI has already become part of the landscape. CHATgbt is able to generate treatment plans for various mental health diagnoses, using a broad range of modalities depending on the therapist’s request; while also enhancing the ability to facilitate progress notes to sum up therapy sessions. As AI is becoming more refined, people are turning to CHATgpt as a ‘therapist’ to share their dark emotions, feelings, and thoughts, while often feeling comforted by an ‘empathetic response’ generated back.

However, particularly as therapists, we need to be wary. After all, AI is and will always be a part of technology. It does not have a living, breathing soul, and all its responses, no matter how ‘genuine or empathetic’, are always ARTIFICIAL. The danger is that people who rely on AI for comforting words and the illusion of a ‘relationship’ will eventually feel a profound sense of abandonment, aloneness, and isolation. While AI can be programmed to say the right ‘therapeutic phrases’, it can never have the feelings of a living person. It will never shed tears of joy at a wedding, nor feel proud when an infant takes their first step. 

There’s a treatment called Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP). Therapists who work with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) know all about it. It’s a specialized form of CBT that is used to treat anxiety and OCD issues. Unfortunately, it has become a ‘cornerstone’ of OCD treatment. On the surface, the approach makes so much sense that nobody even bothers to question it.

The logic is simple. The idea is to expose clients to anxiety-provoking thoughts or situations, while encouraging the person to refrain from their habitual compulsive or avoidant behaviors (e.g., handwashing, checking, excessive cleaning, etc). The hope is that the client will learn that his fears are baseless, and that by tolerating distress and uncertainty, he will get passed being stuck in repetitive behaviors and compulsive rituals to relieve anxiety.

Sounds good right?

So what’s the problem?! The problem is that the method is designed to treat only the superficial behavior. With OCD, the compulsive behavior is what we see; however, this only the tip of the iceberg. Underneath, there is a ‘massive iceberg’ below the (water’s) surface which is a debilitating sense of aloneness and isolation. It is the unconscious experience of aloneness, and difficulty in connecting with others, that drives the surface behavior and compulsions. Ultimately, if this core issue of abandonment is not addressed, the therapist is ‘spinning his wheels’ since the underlying issue remains unresolved. The result is that the client ultimately falls back into his old patterns.

This podcast will address what needs to happen for lasting change to take place.  

So the big question is if treatment using psychedelics is here to stay or whether it’s a ‘flash in the pan’. Those who advocate for it claim that it lowers habitual defenses in a way that allows the mind the neuroplasticity to expand. This often allows for a new perspective on blockages and situations that have prevented the person from living more fully. Yet, others view the use of psychedelics as an attempt to find a ‘quick fix’ shortcut that hopes to bypass the rigors of a more traditional therapy style designed to help the person toward gradual but long term change. In truth, these 2 aspects can be integrated as new understandings gained under the influence can be reinforced and explored in follow-up regular therapy sessions.

However the introduction of a drug or substance means that there needs to be an added level of medical supervision, since people may have varying physiological responses and reactions. In the podcast we will also consider the importance of creating a safe environment based on the trust level between the client and the attending team. Although this aspect is often not fully considered, it is by creating a trusting alliance that the client can be guided through his personal experience in a way that ensures a positive therapeutic outcome. 

We don’t often hear about this topic in seminars or training. This is one of those things that most of us don’t want to think about. The hope is - If we don’t think about it, maybe we won’t ever have to deal with it.

Usually if there is some kind of difficulty, we try to work with the client to come to an amicable agreement. However, if you work long enough in this field, inevitably there are situations or circumstances where the client may be more interested in pursuing a court settlement. Sometimes a frustrated client my become intent on harming your reputation through legal action or filing a complaint to the professional board.

In this podcast we will explore various scenarios and how to recognize potential warning signs and pitfalls, along with ways to avoid and address them.

Which type of therapist are you? Are you more the ‘expert’ therapist that guides your client in a ‘top down’ approach to behave in an appropriate manner, think more rational, or see things in a more realistic way. Or are you more the ‘explorer’ type who works from the ‘bottom up’ to help realign blocked emotions, ‘parts’, or thoughts to encourage internal integration and growth.

Either way the therapist comes with a ‘helping agenda’ designed to move the client forward to achieve the end goal of being more ‘functional’. The problem, of course, is that even the most motivated of clients’ are not always ready to keep up with their therapist’s well-meaning ‘helping agenda’.

This leads us to suggest a third possible option that is beyond ‘top down’ or ‘bottom up’; what might be called a ‘Here & Now’ approach. Here, in a paradoxical manner, the therapist is willing to let go of his personal agenda to change the client. In so doing, the focus of treatment is to simply strengthen the alliance based on enhancing a trusting relationship that is not dependent on changing behavior, emotions, or thoughts. The focus is to simply accept the client ‘as he is in this moment’.

Instead of trying to encourage the client to be or do more of ‘who he is not’, - in the ‘here & now’ we offer empathy, humor, and genuineness to relieve the client’s underlying experience of abandonment, isolation, and feeling stuck. This unconditional acceptance results in feeling a profound sense of internal relief. When done correctly, this instigates an organic, unplanned, and unexpected level of change that is not subject to a linear or logical agenda.