Introduction To be in supervision for beginner therapists is a nerve-racking experience, which has the capacity to change the life of the trainee. Hyde (2015) describes beginner therapists as intelligent, gifted, and successful individuals who in supervision face scrutiny, which threatens their self-esteem and stirs up anxieties and defenses. She says, “In supervision, we feel […]
The breakneck speed of working on an inpatient behavioral medicine team of an urban tertiary hospital is quite often both exhilarating and exhausting for clinical psychology doctoral students. There is an idiosyncratic rhythm to the workload, as new consults roll in or patients the service follows are readmitted to the hospital. The expectation for trainees […]
This past December, Dr. Jeffrey Barnett stepped down from his leadership role as Publications Chair of the Society for the Advancement of Psychotherapy. Dr. Barnett has been instrumental in the mentorship, guidance, and friendship he has bestowed to me. In reflecting over the past four years of knowing and working with him, I found myself […]
My Confusion About and Interest in Therapist Self-Disclosure (TSD) As I begin to establish my private practice, I have been reflecting on the evolution of my thoughts about and use of therapist self-disclosure (TSD), which I am using here to mean "therapist statements that reveal something personal about the therapist" (Hill & Knox, 2002, p. […]
At times, I can be really bad at asking for help. This trait, for better or worse, is most likely a byproduct of a variety of factors in my life, most notably playing sports, my history of asthma, and my identity as a young Black professional. As athletes, we are conditioned from an early age to persevere and ignore thoughts of quitting or “taking a break” in order […]
After writing The Positives and Potential Pitfalls of Saying Yes (2017) I decided to share a positive experience that highlights the benefits of saying yes. This moment was when I said yes during my doctoral internship year. As an intern, I was hired by my internship site (Wichita State University Counseling and Testing Center) during […]
The incorporation of a Westernized and decontextualized version of mindfulness into psychotherapy over the last two decades has been a significant trend, while for a hip segment of the popular culture, it has become nothing less than a rage. Although not yet as ubiquitous in the marketplace as yoga, it is certainly nipping at its […]
In my supervision practice, I work with doctoral students at the beginning of their work as therapists. These students have either had no therapeutic experience or limited experience. As Chessick (1971) indicated, three critical issues often confront therapists in their shift from classroom to clinic: (a) learning to manage anxiety early on during the treatment […]