Not too long ago, my colleagues and I published some preliminary thoughts and findings from our research into “Supershrinks.”

That differences in effectiveness exist between clinicians is neither surprising or new.  Indeed, “therapist effects”–as they are referred to in the research literature–have been documented for decades and rival the contribution of factors long known to influence successful psychotherapy (e.g., the therapeutic alliance, hope and expectancy, etc.).  Personally, I believe that studying these super-effective clinicians will help practitioners improve the outcome of their clinical work.

Aside from research documenting the existence of “supershrinks,” and our own articles on the subject, little additional information exists documenting how superior performing clinicians achieve the results they do.

Enter Bill Robinson, manager, counselor, and a senior supervsor with Relationships Australia based in Mandurah, Western Australia.  I’m also proud to say that Bill is one of a highly select group of clinicians that have completed the necessary training to be designated an ICCE Certified Trainer.

In any event, in the last issue of Psychotherapy in Australia–a treasure of a publication that every clinician dedicated to improving their work should subscribe to–Bill explores the topic of therapist effects, suggesting possible links between effectiveness and clinicians’ abilities to connect with the phenomenological worlds of the people they work with.  Trust me, this peer reviewed article is worth reading.  Don’t forget to post a comment, by the way, once you’ve finished!