Private practice Archives - Page 3 of 7

Why technology professionals struggle with mental health

January 14, 2019 by Jeffrey Liebert

Matthew Henry / Burst / Used under license When a piece of technology works well and makes life easy, that doesn’t mean that the building of it went well or that the lives of the builders are easy. Many in the technology industry struggle with symptoms of anxiety and depression. In fact, they struggle with these symptoms much more often than the general population.

Working 50-hour weeks for months on end, having limited interactions with others, feeling multiple levels of oversight, and constantly being unsure whether your project will be used or scrapped — technology professionals experience all of this, typically with little or no recognition for their work. (Think about it: You probably use Gmail, but if you don’t know them personally, how many Google employees can you name?)

These new therapist directories aim to beat Psychology Today

July 23, 2018 by Ben Caldwell

If you’re a therapist in private practice, you’re probably listed on Psychology Today. For better or worse, it’s the 800-pound gorilla of therapist directories: It gets a ton of traffic, which means its pages show up high in search results, which generate even more traffic.

Despite owning the market, the Psychology Today directory is not necessarily well-liked. Its user experience looks and feels dated. While advanced searches are possible, the main search page only allows searches by name and location. Therapists and clients alike sometimes grumble that the information therapists can share on their profiles is limited.

For a new generation of online therapist directories, the failure of Psychology Today to improve its product represents a tremendous opportunity.

Therapist shortage, or saturation? Depends who (and how) you ask

May 30, 2018 by Ben Caldwell

California suffers from a severe and worsening mental health workforce shortage. In fact, much of the US is in the same boat. There simply aren’t enough qualified mental health professionals to meet our country’s needs.

At the same time, therapists in private practice often complain about their local markets being saturated. There are so many therapists in some places, it seems, that it’s hard to get a career off the ground.

As it turns out, there’s truth to both of these perspectives.

Now is the time to move your practice online

May 21, 2018May 21, 2018 by Ben Caldwell

If you haven’t noticed, telehealth is an ongoing theme around here. Last year, we posted on what we know and don’t know about online therapy, and four reasons to move your practice online. I also proudly chaired the workgroup that developed AAMFT’s Best Practices in the Online Practice of Couple and Family Therapy, which is available for free here.

We know a lot of therapists are still worried about using technology in their practices, and we have good news — regulations are getting clearer, and so is the technology itself. In short, it’s easier and safer than ever to move part or all of your therapy practice online.

Podcast episode 8: Measurement, or, if everyone is “excellent,” no one is

May 16, 2018 by Ben Caldwell

Psychotherapy Notes podcast Measuring client outcomes is fast, easy, and essential. Current measurement tools are up to the task, and if more therapists used them, we could get better at our work.