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Clinical social work

Three easy ways to collect outcome data

April 16, 2018April 16, 2018 by Jeffrey Liebert

Sarah Pflug / Burst / Used under licenseTherapists and counselors are increasingly required to formally gather outcome data on their work. This is good: The more data that we have on our work, the more intentional and effective our clinical decisions can become. Regularly collecting and attending to outcome data, therefore, suggests constant movement towards improvement.

Many therapists struggle, however, with questions about what data to gather, and how to best gather it. Even among those who philosophically agree that regularly collecting outcome data helps to more meaningfully direct therapy, they often don’t do it.

Thankfully, there are a number of easy ways for therapists to collect outcome data. Many come at no cost. The following are just three of the many different tools/assessments therapists can use to collect and interpret outcome data.

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Self-care for therapists who can’t afford self-care

April 9, 2018 by Emma Jaegle

Ryan McGuire / Gratisography - licensed under Creative Commons ZeroIt is advised early on in our schooling to practice self-care as a means to prevent and combat burnout. Preventative self-care is usually along the lines of making sure you are staying healthy. This can mean eating right, working out, or finding something you enjoy in every day, like listening to music or reading before bed. Ideally when you are burned out, self-care would include taking a day or two off to recharge, maybe going on a weekend getaway, or getting a massage.

Realistically, for many therapists that isn’t possible. As Ben discussed here last week, far too much discussion of self-care ignores the practical and financial reality of being an early-career therapist. This recent Counseling Today cover story is a great example of talking about burnout in ways that put responsibility for it on counselors’ and therapists’ own shoulders, without mentioning several of the systemic reasons why mental health professionals early in their careers actually get burned out.

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Saving Psychotherapy: An interview with Scott Miller

April 4, 2018April 4, 2018 by Ben Caldwell

Saving psychotherapy cover image (c) Copyright 2015 Benjamin E. Caldwell.We’re big fans of Scott Miller and his Top Performance Blog around here. Miller has allowed his career to be guided by emerging research, a trait that is surprisingly rare in the psychotherapy world. It has led him to some very useful conclusions about how we can become more effective. Deliberate practice and using outcome data are two specific things that we all could do that would almost certainly improve our outcomes.

There are many things about his work to admire. But what I appreciate most is his skill at walking the difficult line between being alarmist — it’s kind of a big deal that therapy outcomes haven’t gotten better in 40 years — and being supportive and uplifting for therapists who are doing their own part individually to improve. So it was an honor to meet him at the 2017 Evolution of Psychotherapy Conference, and to have him interview me earlier this year for his blog.

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Podcast episode 5: Reports of loan forgiveness death greatly exaggerated

March 19, 2018 by Ben Caldwell

Psychotherapy Notes podcastWe’ve spent the last two episodes talking about student loan debt. It’s reshaping the mental health professions. Two doctoral students were kind enough to share with us their own personal stories. In this episode, we talk about the great hope for many who are in the deep end of student loan debt: Public Service Loan Forgiveness.

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Handling sexist comments in therapy

March 14, 2018 by Emma Jaegle

Matthew Henry / Burst / Used under licenseThere is a huge gender gap in the field of psychotherapy. At least 80% of psychotherapists in the US are women. So when a man pursues therapy, unless he specifically seeks out a man, he will most likely get a woman therapist. The dynamic of a male client with a female therapist can be both beneficial and problematic to the therapy. It can spark discussion over issues the client did not realize were there until working with a woman. It can replicate his relationship with another woman in his life. It also can reveal sexist beliefs.

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Preparing for the 2025 California MFT Law & Ethics Exam

Preparing for the 2025 California MFT Law & Ethics Exam - front coverThe easiest way to get ready for California’s MFT Law & Ethics exam. This paperback includes a study guide and more than 100 practice test questions with rationales.

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  • Exam Prep
    • California LMFT Clinical Exam Prep
    • California LMFT Law & Ethics Exam Prep
    • California LPCC Law & Ethics Exam Prep
    • California LCSW Law & Ethics Exam Prep
  • CE Courses
    • California Law and Ethics 6-Hour for LMFTs, LPCCs, & LCSWs
    • California Law and Ethics for BBS Associates (AMFTs, APCCs, & ASWs) – 2025
    • Telehealth for California LMFTs, LPCCs, and LCSWs
    • Supervision of California BBS Associates
    • Supervision for Clinical Effectiveness
  • Books
    • Basics of California Law for LMFTs, LPCCs, and LCSWs (11th ed)
    • Preparing for the 2025 California MFT Law & Ethics Exam
    • Preparing for the 2025 California Clinical Social Work Law & Ethics Exam
    • Saving Psychotherapy
  • Resources
    • Think Like the Testâ„¢ Podcast
    • Exam Prep Articles
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