Consultations for therapists with difficult cases

Consultations with mental health professionals about their ongoing “stuck cases.”

Many experienced, well trained and well regarded therapists have a subgroup of clients who are treatment resistant. These clinicians are invited to read the SASB and IRT books and selected draft chapters of my new book (…”its about broken hearts..”), and then develop a case formulation for one or two of his or her cases. We discuss recommended interventions for moving beyond the current impasse. For therapists not located in the Salt Lake area, this service is available by Skype, unless prohibited by state law about telehealth, and provided the practitioner is appropriately licensed, agrees that this is a consultation rather than a supervision, and obtains written permission from patients to have these consultations.

My emphasis when teaching is on skills acquisition. There is no discussion of therapist’s own issues except in limited ways as they might be brought up by the therapist him or herself and be relevant to the specific case being reviewed. I teach professionals as I like to be taught when learning a new complex skill. Skiing is an example. When I first moved to Utah and wanted to be able to keep up with my native Utahan friends, I wanted to learn to ski better. I did not want to pay a ski instructor a hefty price to tell me how wonderful I was. Of course I did not want to be degraded or humiliated or otherwise put down, and did like to hear when I was practicing a new skill correctly. But mainly I expected and liked to hear what I could do differently. I experienced clear, well explained and well- demonstrated suggestions for change as exactly what I was looking for. That is what I offer when teaching professional skills.

Quote about IRT consultations

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