Contributed by William Doherty
33 Results
VIDEO: Bill Doherty on Becoming a "Citizen Therapist"
How to Have a Conversation About Politics in Therapy
In the following clip from his Symposium Keynote address, William Doherty offers an expanded vision of therapy and explains why clinicians are uniquely suited to serving as “connectors and trust-builders” to address the stress and anxiety many clients—and therapists—are feeling in the current political climate. Read More
VIDEO: Addressing Political Stress in the Consulting Room
Reevaluating What's Appropriate to Discuss in Therapy
It's no surprise that, with all the political infighting going on, many people are anxious about the direction of our country. But is there room to discuss political matters with clients, or does this constitute an ethical breach? According to therapist Bill Doherty, clinicians are not only well-equipped to discuss politics, but sometimes have a duty to do so. In the following video clip from his 2017 Networker Symposium Keynote address, Doherty explains how to get the ball rolling. Read More
Therapy and Transformation
What Are We Promising Our Clients?
Decades ago, trainees in our field were imbued with the notion that therapy was about transformation: big, dramatic changes in the direction of self-actualization. Was this an overpromise? And now, when the average length of therapy in the United States is less than eight sessions, is it even desired by clients anymore, or necessary for successful therapy? Read More
Is There Hope for a Divided America?
Tales from the Better Angels Bus Tour
There’s a troubling trend toward viewing people who differ from us politically not just as uninformed or misguided, but as ill-motivated and dangerous. Through an organization called Better Angels, a couples therapist and an intrepid group of other concerned citizens embark on a bus tour to see what they can learn about shifting the standoff between Red and Blue America. Read More
VIDEO: Bill Doherty on the Rewards of Civic Commitment
Creating Space for a Conversation About Civic Commitments
Sometimes our clients have commitments to groups or causes that enrich their lives and social connections. But very often, says couples therapist Bill Doherty, therapists don't inquire about these elements of our clients' lives. In fact, he adds, there seems to be a bias against doing so. In the following clip from his 2017 Networker Symposium Keynote address, Doherty explains how exploring civic commitments can also advance therapy. Read More
VIDEO: Bill Doherty on the New Challenges of Social Engagement
Being an Effective, Ethical Therapist in an Age of Political Upheaval
What does it mean to be a dutiful citizen and an effective therapist in the modern day? This is the central question Bill Doherty posed in his keynote address at the 2017 Networker Symposium. In the following video clip from that speech, Doherty explains how we can effectively and ethically deal with political stress in the consulting room. Read More
Psychotherapy's Pilgrimage
Shaping the Consciousness of Our Time
Despite what grad school textbooks may imply, therapy movements are more than a set of theories and techniques. They’re about what it means to be a human being at a particular time amid all the forces that shape a culture. Here, a therapist who entered the field at the same time the Networker made its debut brings to life 40 years of the key moments in psychotherapy’s unfolding, exploring both how the field was influenced by social changes and how the consciousness of our times—and our view of what it means to be a fully realized person—have been transformed by the intimate conversations that take place in our consulting rooms. Read More
VIDEO: When One Partner Wants Out
Discernment Counseling for the Mixed-Agenda Couple
In at least 30 percent of couples who come to therapy, partners enter the consulting room with different agendas---one wants a divorce, the other wants to save the marriage. Bill Doherty, cofounder of The Doherty Relationship Institute and director of the Minnesota Couples on the Brink Project, says the stakes are high in this scenario and traditional approaches fall short with these mixed-agenda couples. Read More
The Remarriage Triangle
Working with Later-Life Recouplers and their Grown Children
William Doherty
William Doherty, PhD, is professor of family social science and director of the Minnesota Couples on the Brink Project at the University of Minnesota. He’s the author of the forthcoming book, The Ethical Lives of Clients: Transcending Self-Interest in Psychotherapy.