By Rich Simon As therapists, many of us practice in two different worlds. In the first, we see polite, well-behaved, articulate clients with solid values. They engage fully in therapy, talk cogently about their problems, listen attentively to our responses, make reasonably good-faith efforts to follow our suggestions, and sooner or later get better. No wonder we genuinely like these people! 
By Rich Simon A thousand years ago, during the palmy days of generous insurance reimbursement, therapists could maintain the illusion that, since therapy was paid for by an unseen hidden hand, clinical practice was somehow untouched by the tacky subject of money. Even the style of therapy reflected this disjunction: 
CE Credits: 3 • Price: $39This Reading Course is designed to help you deepen your appreciation of creativity and also bring more spontaneous originality to bear in your therapeutic practice. David Waters explores the role of Big Moments of insight and revelation in therapy, as well as the many little, everyday moments necessary to make sure that changes stick. Jay Efran challenges the assumptions of manualized treatment, arguing that therapy is always an exercise in creative ambiguity. Brad Sachs shows how to use case notes as a means of imaginative exploration. Michael Ventura offers the unusual proposal that, among other things, therapy should ask clients to consider what is beautiful in their lives. In addition, profiles of two remarkable artists--poet John O'Donohue and director Andre Gregory--offer perspectives on the role of creativity in the healing arts.
Course Readings
The Big Moment: Inspiration vs. Perspiration in the Therapy Room by David Waters
The Art of Therapeutic Conversation: The Move to Manualized Treatment Misses the Point by Jay Efran & Mitchell Greene
The Poetics of Progress Notes: Using Your Imagination with Tough Cases by Jay Efran & Mitchell Greene
Rediscovering the Mystery: For John O’Donohue, Therapy Is a Journey into the Unknown Self by Mary Sykes Wylie
Beauty Resurrected: How Can a Therapist Head Off a Potentially Violent Client? by Michael Ventura
My Interview with Andre: For Andre Gregory, the Truth, No Matter How Painful, Is Always Funny by Richard Simon
Learning Objectives
1. Discuss the development of therapeutic views about the creative role of the therapist in helping clients change.
2. Distinguish between the impact of creativity and talk vs. manualized treatment in therapy.
3. List three ways to use creativity in progress notes to deepen your understanding of a client
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