Professional Development

In the last few weeks, as the specter of contagion has rapidly grown more ominous with each news cycle, an unthinkable professional reality has emerged for... Read more

A therapist finds her client attractive and says their conversations sometimes border on flirtatious. She says she'd never act on these feelings, but worries... Read more

As a therapist, I've always liked to work a certain way, in person, face to face in my cozy office. But when the coronavirus hit and I repurposed a guest... Read more

If someone promised to make you an expert in six months, you’d suspect they were selling snake oil. Meaningful personal development takes time and effort... Read more

Research shows that confidence isn’t always tied to skills, ability, capacity, or even higher intelligence. So what does make us feel self-assured in our... Read more

Esther Perel traces the development of her approach and the wider response to her ideas about sexuality and intimacy. Read more

Americans have a history of valuing quick-fix solutions to difficult problems. But the simplistic psychopharmacological approach to depressive disorders... Read more

A therapist is working with a couple in which one partner is clearly disengaged in therapy. She shows up and says she’s interested in improving the... Read more

During my internship after graduate school, I worked as therapist at an intensive out-patient eating disorder (ED) clinic. One of the patients, Amber, was a... Read more

A new client who survived a harrowing car crash is going through a deep depression. When she recounts her story, her therapist feels unusually affected, as if... Read more

A therapist reflects on a key lesson from his long career: clients don’t necessarily need new answers to their questions—they need new questions. Read more

After an unusual break from practice, a burnt-out young clinician learns to finally feel at home in the therapist’s chair. Read more

What horsemanship can teach us about making sure our clients feel seen, heard, and helped. Read more

In the sea of trauma that surrounds us in our daily lives and in our offices, self-care is a life jacket. But collective trauma needs a collective... Read more

In today’s Information Age, therapy clients are more informed—and have greater expectations up front—when it comes to the look and feel of therapy... Read more

Our offices don’t make people well, but they extend an invitation. They provide a comforting consistency in the midst of hard, often unsettling work. So a... Read more

The therapeutic benefits of turning an office makeover into a collaborative project. Read more

What if a park bench was your waiting room, and nature your co-therapist? A growing group of practitioners, who stroll with their clients not just every once... Read more

Feng shui’s core concern is to put humans in harmony with their physical environment. What can therapists learn from this ancient practice about the... Read more

When a therapist moves offices after 30 years, a lot of emotional issues get stirred up. Read more

When I've asked people who've gone to therapy what was most helpful, again and again, they've described times when their therapists shared something about... Read more

Although it’s not usually acknowledged, change in the consulting room goes both ways. Even as they help clients wrestle with their issues, it’s the rare... Read more

Of all the meaningful sessions that take place in a therapist’s career, what makes certain ones stand out? Sometimes, it’s taking creative leaps in... Read more

At the 2016 Psychotherapy Networker Symposium, Bill Doherty offered his take on how psychotherapy can reassert its cultural relevance by deepening its vision... Read more

What to do about addressing microaggressions in therapy. Read more

A therapist recommends exercises like journaling prompts and guided mediations that she feels would benefit her clients between sessions. Although they seem... Read more

Until they’ve done the challenging and sometimes painful work in therapy, many people can’t even begin to imagine curtailing their drug use. For them... Read more

How does your work as a therapist contribute to the wider world? It’s a question couples and family therapist Bill Doherty asks his colleagues... Read more

Recently, a therapist has found herself losing steam. She mentally checks out when clients are talking, and constantly feels exhausted. She worries this... Read more

Therapists who grew up in the communities of color they serve often have the social capital and particular wisdom to better understand clients’ core needs... Read more