Not long ago, I had a rather lengthy email exchange with a well-known, high profile psychotherapist in the United States.  Feedback was the topic.  We both agreed that feedback was central to successful psychotherapy.   We differed, however, in terms of method.  I argued for the use of simple, standardized measures of progress and alliance (e.g., ...
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"How valid and reliable are the ORS and SRS?"  "What do the data say about the impact of routine measurement and feedback on outcome and retention in behavioral health?"  "Are the ORS and SRS 'evidence-based?'" These and other questions regarding the evidence supporting the ORS, SRS, and feedback are becoming increasingly ...
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Registrations are already coming in for the first International Conference on "Achieving Clinical Excellence." Not too long ago, I announced that internationally known researcher K. Anders Erickson, Ph.D.--the "expert on experts"--had agreed to present at the event.  At that time, I also indicated that a number of internationally accomplished performers from a variety ...
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One year ago today, I blogged about my New Year's resolution to "take up the study of expertise and expert performance."  The promise marked a significant departure from my work up to that point in time and was not without controversy: "Was I no longer interested in psychotherapy?" "Had I given up ...
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"What works" in therapy?  Believe it or not, that question--as simple as it is--has and continues to spark considerable debate.  For decades, the field has been divided.  On one side are those who argue that the efficacy of psychological treatments is due to specific factors (e.g., changing negative thinking patterns) inherent ...
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The notion that suicides increase during the holiday season is as traditional as "Santa Claus"--and, according to statistics dating back at least a decade, just as illusory.  In fact, research actually shows suicide rates to be the lowest in December!  According to Dan Romer, a researcher at the Annenberg Public ...
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A number of years ago, I was conducting a workshop in Pittsburgh.  At some point during the training, I met Dr. Jan Pringle, the director of the Program Evaluation Research Unit in the School of Pharmacy at the University of Pittsburgh. Jan had an idea: use outcome feedback to improve ...
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I'm still reeling from the experience in Anaheim this last week.  I met so many leaders in the field, heard so many presentations on cutting edge clinical practice--as well as was reminded of some "classic" principles of effective psychotherapy. One of the people I met was colleague and friend, Michael ...
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From December 9-13th, eight thousand five hundred mental health practitioners, from countries around the globe, gathered in Anaheim, California to attend the "Evolution of Psychotherapy" conference.  Held every five years since 1985, the conference started big and has grown only larger.  "Only a few places in the US can accommodate such a ...
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Dateline: Chicago, Illinois December 7, 2009 I've just finished packing my bags and am heading for the airport.  Tomorrow the "Evolution of Psychotherapy" begins.  Nearly 25 years after volunteering at the first "Evolution" conference, I'm back a second time to present.  Tomorrow, I'll be talking about "Achieving Clinical Excellence."  ...
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Hans Christian Andersen, the author of such classic stories as The Ugly Duckling and the Emperor's New Clothes, once wrote, "Life itself is the most wonderful fairy tale of all."  That sentiment is certainly true of my own life.  For the last 16 years, I've been privileged to travel around the world conducting training and ...
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Dateline: November 28, 2009 Brisbane, Australia Crown Plaza Hotel Pelican Waters Golf Resort & Spa As their name implies, LifeLine Australia is the group people call when they need a helping hand.  During the last leg of my tour of eastern Australia, I was lucky enough to spend two days working with ...
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Sitting in my hotel room in Brisbane, Australia.  It's beautiful here: white, sandy beaches and temperatures hovering around 80 degrees.  Can't say that I'll be enjoying the sunny weather much.  Tomorrow I'll be speaking to a group of 135+ practitioners about "Supershrinks."  I leave for home on Saturday.  While it's ...
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Greetings from beautiful Melbourne, Australia!   For the next couple of weeks, I’ll be traveling the up and down the east coast of this captivating country, conducting workshops and providing consultations on feedback-informed clinical work. Actually, I’ve had the privilege of visiting and teaching in Australia about once a year beginning ...
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I've just returned from a week in Denmark providing training for two important groups.  On Wednesday and Thursday, I worked with close to 100 mental health professionals presenting the latest information on "What Works" in Therapy at the Kulturkuset in downtown Copenhagen.  On Friday, I worked with a small group ...
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For the last 7 years, I've been traveling to the small, picturesque village of Brattleboro, Vermont to work with clinicians, agency managers, and various state officials on integrating outcomes into behavioral health services.  Peter Albert, the director of Governmental Affairs and PrimariLink at the Brattleboro Retreat, has tirelessly crisscrossed the state, promoting ...
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