Skip to content
Psychotherapy Notes
  • 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
    • National MFT Exam Test Bank
  • Advocacy
  • Books
    • Basics of California Law for LMFTs, LPCCs, and LCSWs (10th ed)
    • Saving Psychotherapy
    • Preparing for the 2023 California MFT Law & Ethics Exam
    • Preparing for the 2023 California Clinical Social Work Law & Ethics Exam
  • Blog
    • Blog home
    • Psychology
    • Professional Counseling
    • Family therapy
    • Clinical social work
    • Law and ethics
    • Education
    • Employment
    • Licensure
    • Public policy

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.

Turns out he loved Saving Psychotherapy! He calls it “Among the 10 most important books written in the last five years” for therapists. He’s warm and gracious here in giving me space to talk about the book and about the struggles impacting today’s mental health professionals. We discuss student debt, the decline of spending on psychotherapy, and much more. Here’s the full interview, which runs about 14 minutes:

It’s also worth a visit to the specific Top Performance Blog post where he included the interview. It directly addresses a problem that I don’t hear a lot of others talking about: The massive amount of information that we all have to deal with these days. I myself have stacks of books and articles waiting to be read. Some of them look great, while others look like I could just read the title and be done with it. His post talks eloquently about separating out what matters (like the big-picture issues discussed in Saving Psychotherapy) from what doesn’t in our field’s exponentially-expanding research base.

If you’re also a Scott Miller fan and are interested in some of his other work, he is one of the authors of the Session Rating Scale and Outcome Rating Scale (individual licenses are free), and a coauthor of The Heart & Soul of Change, which deserves to be read cover to cover. He’s also the founder of the International Center for Clinical Excellence, which offers a variety of trainings and related resources on what should be our top professional priority: Achieving the best results we possibly can.

Share this:

  • Email
  • Tweet

People who read this article also read

Post navigation
Advocacy for prelicensed therapists: A conversation with LA-CAMFT
Self-care for therapists who can’t afford self-care
Saving Psychotherapy
Saving Psychotherapy: How therapists can bring the talking cure back from the brink
An action plan to improve your practice while helping the whole field. An unflinching, data-driven, and ultimately optimistic look at where we are and how your practice matters to all of our shared futures.
 
Get it on Amazon

People are reading

  • CareDash shuts down
  • Decoding counselor alphabet soup: LPC, LPCC, LMHC, and more
  • What's the difference between an MFT (or LMFT), an LPC (or LPCC), and an LCSW?
  • These new therapist directories aim to beat Psychology Today
  • California sets new rules for therapists writing ESA letters

Recent Posts

  • CareDash shuts down February 3, 2023
  • How to diagnose telehealth connection problems January 18, 2023
  • Are licensing exam prep courses a good value? January 17, 2023
  • MFTs, Counselors will become Medicare providers in 2024 [updated] December 21, 2022

Basics of California Law for LMFTs, LPCCs, and LCSWs – 10th ed

Basics of California Law for LMFTs, LPCCs, and LCSWs - 10th edition front cover (c) Copyright 2023 Ben Caldwell LabsTenth edition (2023). A concise, digestible summary of vital elements of state law for master’s level therapists and mental health professionals.

Online California MFT Law & Ethics Exam Prep

Matthew Henry via Burst / Used under licenseBe ready for your test in 7 days with our study plan, video lectures, and practice questions. All for less than half of what competitors charge.
 
Start now

Preparing for the 2023 California MFT Law & Ethics Exam

Preparing for the 2023 California MFT Law & Ethics ExamThe easiest way to get ready for California’s MFT Law & Ethics exam. Includes a study guide and more than 100 practice test questions with rationales.

Ben Caldwell Labs

Psychotherapy Notes is the official blog of Ben Caldwell Labs

All content and images © Copyright 2009-2023 Ben Caldwell Labs unless otherwise noted.
Some images are used under Creative Commons licensing (information embedded).

Ben Caldwell Labs, the Ben Caldwell Labs logo, and Psychotherapy Notes are registered trademarks of Ben Caldwell Labs Inc.

The opinions expressed on posts on this site are solely those of the author.
While this blog does sometimes cover legal issues, unless otherwise noted authors are practicing clinicians and not attorneys.
Nothing here should be interpreted as legal advice, nor should it be considered a substitute for consulting with a qualified attorney.
  • 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
    • National MFT Exam Test Bank
  • Advocacy
  • Books
    • Basics of California Law for LMFTs, LPCCs, and LCSWs (10th ed)
    • Saving Psychotherapy
    • Preparing for the 2023 California MFT Law & Ethics Exam
    • Preparing for the 2023 California Clinical Social Work Law & Ethics Exam
  • Blog
    • Blog home
    • Psychology
    • Professional Counseling
    • Family therapy
    • Clinical social work
    • Law and ethics
    • Education
    • Employment
    • Licensure
    • Public policy
loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.