By Rich Simon It seems astonishing that even just two or three decades ago, parents not only pretty much knew what was expected of them to turn their offspring into civilized adults, but they could actually count on society to back them up. Even more astounding, kids seemed to understand this, too. Even if they rebelled against, yelled about, or sullenly resented how “unfair” adults were, they seemed to acknowledge adult authority and realize that they would just have to wait until they turned 18 to get for themselves the keys to the kingdom of grown-up independence. 
CE Credits: 2 • Price: $29The rest of us might become highly competent professionals, but we will probably never acquire that magical “X” quality that separates the great from the merely very good. This Reading Course explains that, in fact, the best therapists, with success rates at least 50 percent better than the average, all engage in certain simple practices that virtually guarantee success. Scott Miller, Barry Duncan, and Mark Hubble investigate why some therapists are different from other, less successful, therapists (it’s not training, experience, theory, personality style, or even talent!) and what they do that gives them superior results. In another article, they describe explain how using a few simple feedback measures—plus paying close attention to your failures—can make you a better therapist. Cynthia Maeschalck and Rob Axsen demonstrate that using these same feedback techniques can even be therapeutic, helping to transform “impossible” clients into clinical success stories.
Course Readings
Supershrinks: What’s the Secret of Their Success? by Scott Miller et al.
How Being Bad Can Make You Better: Developing a Culture of Feedback In Your Practice by Barry Duncan et al.
But Will It Help “Those” Clients? by Cynthia Maeschalk et al.
Learning Objectives
1. Describe what is meant by the term “supershrink.”
2. Discuss the qualities of “supershrinks” that make them more successful than other therapists.
3. Understand how paing attention to feedback can make you a more effective therapist.
4. Explain how evidence-based practice can help a therapist.
© 2013 Psychotherapy Networker