Difference between research and psychotherapy (paraphrase of Seligman): 1. Research in psychotherapy efficacy has a fixed length, usually eight to 12 sessions. When the predetermined length is reached, treatment does not continue.

What percent of graduating trainees today do you think know how to use countertransference? Is 10% too generous? Good therapists are increasingly hard to find.

Sadly, these are often the patients who say "I tried therapy and it didn't work for me." They give up on therapy altogether. But there's an ocean of difference between the type of therapy explained here and real, deep, meaningful therapy.

America is in the midst of a mental health crisis. But finding a therapist who takes insurance can feel impossible. Insurers say that’s because there aren’t enough therapists. We found that's not entirely true. Here's why you can't find a therapist🧵👇projects.propublica.org/why-i-left-the…

Therapists are leaving health insurance networks. Here's why. (Spoiler: insurance companies are squeezing us to the point where continuing business with them is untenable) npr.org/sections/shots…

But dang that PHQ9 sure is conducive to getting published!

Exactly. Marketing in general has been so effective in convincing us that fast & easy is the goal for everything in life. Deep, meaningful therapy, by definition, can't be. If it were easy, that self-help book, YouTube video, or friend's advice would have already cured the pain.

This sad fact is all over the subreddits for therapy. Both licensed clinicians and trainees posting about "Any tips to work with clients who _____?" Therapists are anxious about what to do with someone, instead of learning how to be with someone in the therapeutic encounter.

“Before I can say anything to you, I must know a great deal about you; please tell me what you know about yourself.” S. Freud, On Beginning the Treatment, 1913

It’s hard reading so many stories on here about truly bad therapy. We get defensive and say “but that’s not therapy!” Because at the core it isn’t. But if it’s all most people have access to at this point, by default I guess it is.

The importance of embracing the "not knowing," the moments when we simply feel bad, resistant, wanting to quit, etc. All of this requires time and patience. If therapy is just a collection of good feelings and validation, it will never reach the depth most people need.

Excellent episode of an excellent podcast. A good endorsement for depth therapies as well.

We're excited to announce a new series, "Advocating for Our Patients, Our Practice, and Ourselves" in collaboration with the William Alanson White Institute. The series includes 3 webinars, each with CEs, and some really exciting topics: mailchi.mp/wawhite/announ…

Spot f'ing on

Psychoanalytic Therapy Beats CBT for Trauma-Linked Depression New #research shows long-term psychoanalytic #therapy outperforms #CBT for #depression in childhood #trauma survivors. By José Giovanni Luiggi-Hernández Psychotherapy Action Network #mentalhealth madinamerica.com/2024/09/psycho…