Very Bad Therapy

It seems odd that most therapists – us included – aren't 100% certain about what constitutes an intervention. Are interventions scripted in-session activities? What about the theoretical orientations themselves? There isn't one single answer, but interventions aren't that difficult to understand if you zoom out far enough…and get a little bit of help from ChatGPT.

Thank you for listening. To support the show and receive access to regular bonus episodes, check out the Very Bad Therapy Patreon community. Today's episode is sponsored by Sentio Counseling Center – high-quality, low-fee online therapy in California with immediate availability for new couples and individual clients.

Very Bad Therapy: Website / Facebook / Bookshelf / Tell Us Your Story

Show Notes:

• ChatGPT
• Effective Psychotherapists: Clinical Skills That Improve Client Outcomes
• Types of interventions (NIH)
• Types of Interventions in Counseling
• The Complete Set of Client Handouts and Worksheets from ACT books
• Essential Techniques for the Beginning Psychodynamic Psychotherapist
• Commonly-Used Intervention Words for Mental Health Progress Notes
• Therapy Interventions Cheat Sheet
• What is the Change Triangle?
• Affect Phobia Therapy

Stereotypes aren't always a bad thing. That may not be true in therapy, especially when a client is made to feel like they are representing an entire group of people. That's what we explore with today's guest Jess, and we're also joined by Deanna Fierman, LPC, to talk about what therapists should do after their biases about identity lead to clinical errors. Plus, Ben finds a therapist and Carrie gets a mammogram.

Thank you for listening. To support the show and receive access to regular bonus episodes, check out the Very Bad Therapy Patreon community. Today's episode is sponsored by Sentio Counseling Center – high-quality, low-fee online therapy in California with immediate availability for new clients.

Introduction: 0:00 – 18:09

Part One: 18:09 – 54:04

Part Two: 54:04 – 1:38:02

Part Three: 1:38:02 – 1:40:39

Very Bad Therapy: Website / Facebook / Bookshelf / Tell Us Your Story

Show Notes:

• Support DC Texas Migrant Solidarity
• All the Colors Counseling and Consulting

There are over 600 types of psychotherapy. What are they, where did they come from, and what makes them important? We dive deep (too deep, probably) into a $900 textbook in an attempt to make sense of the spectacularly confusing topic of theoretical orientations. This is an integrative episode – we integrate a lot of information with even more information.

Thank you for listening. To support the show and receive access to regular bonus episodes, check out the Very Bad Therapy Patreon community. Today's episode is sponsored by Sentio Counseling Center – high-quality, low-fee online therapy in California with immediate availability for new clients.

Very Bad Therapy: Website / Facebook / Bookshelf / Tell Us Your Story

Show Notes:

• APA Handbook of Clinical Psychology
• Bruce Wampold on What Actually Makes Us Good Therapists
• The evidence for evidence-based therapy is not as clear as we thought
• Evaluating the Evidential Value of Empirically Supported Psychological Treatments (ESTs): A Meta-Scientific Review
• Obtaining Consensus in Psychotherapy: What Holds Us Back?
• Becoming an Effective Psychotherapist: Adopting a Theory of Psychotherapy That's Right for You and Your Client
• Types of Therapy

In the United States, mental health professionals must pass a clinical exam to become licensed in their field. These exams appear to do nothing to make psychotherapy more effective or safe. They are, however, very efficient at furthering structural racism. Dr. Ben Caldwell joins us to make a very compelling, research-based argument for why these clinical exams should be abolished immediately.

Thank you for listening. To support the show and receive access to regular bonus episodes, check out the Very Bad Therapy Patreon community. Today's episode is sponsored by Sentio Counseling Center – high-quality, low-fee online therapy in California with immediate availability for new clients.

Very Bad Therapy: Website / Facebook / Bookshelf / Tell Us Your Story

Show Notes:

• Clinical Licensing Exams in Mental Health Care (White Paper)
• Report: Clinical exams in mental health licensing are structural racism
• 2022 ASWB Exam Pass Rate Analysis
• org – ASWB: End Discriminatory Social Work Licensing Exams
• California BBS discussion of the ASWB report
• Racial Bias and ASWB Exams: A Failure of Data Equity
• Ben Caldwell: Email / Ben Caldwell Labs / Psychotherapy Notes

It's not unusual for clients to develop feelings for their therapist. It's also not unusual for therapists to develop feelings for their clients. So why is it such a bad idea for a therapist to share (or act) on those feelings? Today's guest Kate shares a story that illustrates exactly why, and Dr. Ben Caldwell rejoins us to talk about what should happen when clients and therapists develop feelings for one another.

Thank you for listening. To support the show and receive access to regular bonus episodes, check out the Very Bad Therapy Patreon community. Today's episode is sponsored by The Organized Therapist – Social Media for Therapists and Sentio Counseling Center – high-quality, low-fee online therapy in California with immediate availability for new clients.

Introduction: 0:00 – 8:40

Part One: 8:40 – 44:35

Part Two: 44:35 – 1:30:32

Very Bad Therapy: Website / Facebook / Bookshelf / Tell Us Your Story

Show Notes:

• Donate to NAMI: National Alliance on Mental Illness
• Ben Caldwell on Authory
• The Patient on Hulu
• Mentour Pilot (YouTube)
• Does sorry work? The impact of apology laws on medical malpractice
• "Sorry" Is Never Enough: How State Apology Laws Fail to Reduce Medical Malpractice Liability Risk

Justin Norris rejoins us to conclude our conversation about the perplexing maze that is the application process for grad school. We use the California State University (CSU) system as a case study to illustrate why program requirements aren't always what they seem, and Carrie discusses which therapy programs do a great job of defining and providing quality to their students. Plus, Subaru gets lots of free advertising.

Thank you for listening. To support the show and receive access to regular bonus episodes, check out the Very Bad Therapy Patreon community. Today's episode is sponsored by Sentio Counseling Center – high-quality, low-fee online therapy in California with immediate availability for new clients.

Introduction: 0:00 – 10:35

Part One: 10:35 – 1:10:11

Part Two: 1:10:11 – 1:13:21

Very Bad Therapy: Website / Facebook / Bookshelf / Tell Us Your Story

Show Notes:

• The Patient on Hulu
• Sentio Counseling Center: Affordable Online Therapy for Californians
• MFT California
• Creating Impact: The four pillars of private psychology practice

Have you ever wondered why the process of applying to grad school is so unclear at times? In part one of two, we are joined by Justin Norris, an expert in systems of higher education, to talk about the surprisingly interesting topics of accreditation, for-profit vs. non-profit designations, and public vs. private universities. If you wanted to become a therapist but ended up in a sales funnel, this episode is for you.

Thank you for listening. To support the show and receive access to regular bonus episodes, check out the Very Bad Therapy Patreon community. Today's episode is sponsored by Sentio Counseling Center – high-quality, low-fee online therapy in California with immediate availability for new clients.

Introduction: 0:00 – 19:21

Part One: 19:21 – 1:27:53

Part Two: 1:27:53 – 1:31:45

Very Bad Therapy: Website / Facebook / Bookshelf / Tell Us Your Story

Show Notes:

• The Patient on Hulu
• Sentio Counseling Center: Affordable Online Therapy for Californians
• Sentio University
• MFT California
• Living with Harm OCD
• The Secret History of Thoughts (Invisibilia)

What happens when a therapist doesn't want to work with a client? What should happen? Tom shares his experience with a therapist who chose avoidance over honesty, and we discuss ten types of hard conversations that frequently give therapists anxiety. Plus, is Steve Carrell a good enough TV therapist to avoid getting murdered?

Thank you for listening. To support the show and receive access to regular bonus episodes, check out the Very Bad Therapy Patreon community. Today's episode is sponsored by The Organized Therapist – Social Media for Therapists.

Introduction: 0:00 – 11:00

Part One: 11:00 – 37:54

Part Two: 37:54 – 1:37:40

Very Bad Therapy: Website / Facebook / Bookshelf / Tell Us Your Story

Show Notes:

• The Patient on Hulu
• Sentio Counseling Center: Affordable Online Therapy for Californians
• Why Therapy Is Broken
• Social Workers' Ethical Responsibilities to Clients

Dr. Sally Gibbons is an Oxford-educated philosopher, professor of bioethics and philosophy at UCLA, and licensed professional clinical counselor. We discuss her academic background, what inspired her transition to a career in mental health, and how philosophical thinking informs her humility and curiosity with clients. We also explore the intersections between philosophy and psychotherapy and how this relates to questions about what it means to be a human being and what we owe each other. Plus, Dr. Gibbons shares her own experience of very bad solution-focused brief therapy.

Thank you for listening. To support the show and receive access to regular bonus episodes, check out the Very Bad Therapy Patreon community.

Introduction: 0:00 – 13:08

Part One: 13:08 – 1:11:38

Part Two: 1:11:38 – 1:16:26

Very Bad Therapy: Website / Facebook / Bookshelf / Tell Us Your Story

Show Notes:

• Sally Gibbons' Website
• The Patient on Hulu
• Sam Morril: Up on the Roof

Psychological testing can be complicated. It shouldn't have to be hostile, even if the evaluation is not intended to be in a client's best interest. In today's episode, Jacob shares his experience of a truly ridiculous psych assessment, and we speak with Rachel Simon, LCSW MEd about how assessors can minimize the harmful impact of their own biases – and the biases built into the psych tests themselves.

Thank you for listening. To support the show and receive access to regular bonus episodes, check out the Very Bad Therapy Patreon community. Today's episode is sponsored by The Organized Therapist – Social Media for Therapists.

Introduction: 0:00 – 6:49

Part One: 6:49 – 43:54

Part Two: 43:54 – 1:20:49

Very Bad Therapy: Website / Facebook / Bookshelf / Tell Us Your Story

Show Notes:

• Donate to Transgender Law Center
• Rachel Simon's Website
• The Every Body Book
• Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI)
• The Gender Affirming Letter Access Project