By Scott Miller and Mark Hubble - Studies show more people pay for the services of advisors claiming special powers than see mental health practitioners. How can mentalists and mediums be flourishing at a time when therapists—trained and sanctioned—are struggling to inspire confidence? In an effort to improve therapists’ efficacy, two researchers find themselves on an unexpected path.

By Scott Miller and Mark Hubble - Working harder isn't about filling the week with additional hours on the job. Reaching the top requires hard work of an entirely different order: consistently and consciously pushing to reach objectives just beyond one’s level of proficiency. Because of the human tendency to underplay our shortcomings, measurement and feedback are vital

Studies show more people pay for the services of advisors claiming special powers than see mental health practitioners. How can mentalists and mediums be flourishing at a time when therapists—trained and sanctioned to care for people’s emotional well-being—are struggling to inspire confidence? In an effort to improve therapists’ efficacy, two researchers find themselves on an unexpected path.

An entire industry has sprung up to address the problem of compassion fatigue, but research indicates that the most commonly proposed answer, improved self-care, doesn’t work. In fact, the study of the most highly effective clinicians suggests that burnout isn’t related to caring too much, but continuing to care ineffectively.

Therapists usually enter the field because they’re drawn to it and have innate capacities to do the work. But whether they excel depends largely on their professional community. Unfortunately, current psychotherapy practice doesn’t foster excellence as much as mediocrity, inertia, and an intense fear of change.

Why do some therapists clearly stand out above the rest, consistently getting far better results than most of their colleagues? According to the research, it isn't training, experience, theory, personality style, or even raw talent that makes the difference.