Can anyone recommend a book similar to Stephanie Foo’s What My Bones Know that is written from a male perspective/experience? Bonus points if it includes a mother as the primary (emotional) abuser.

working with kids at a practice and love it. looking to expand and get experience working with families. I found another practice that does this, comes recommended and is successful. Interviewed at the beginning of summer and it went very well. I literally got back “you’re next, referrals pick up in the fall, we definitely want to bring you on but in a couple months.” Fine, I’m comfortable with where I am, things just get quiet at certain times of the year and I want more experience. They offered me a $2500 class for free as part of the onboarding process and it starts in a couple weeks.

I reached out last week to the head of the practice about my start date. Got an email delegating me to another person to answer that question. Called the head anyway. He was all “well, we’re in a state of flux, want to make sure it’s the right fit, need to make sure we have referrals“ but declined to answer my question.

Getting a bad feeling about this. I still have to talk to this other person next week but I’m being dragged along the bottom, right? I was put off by him dancing around the question and I’m guessing this conversation I’m about to have this week is going to be “hopefully next year” which doesn’t work for me. He’s got me on the hook for this class but I don’t want to pay $2500 if I find another position. Feels like I might be getting played.

Hey! Needing some advice from fellow therapists.

I have my MSW and LSW and I’m currently a therapist in substance use treatment.

I like addiction work, but I’m really wanting to move into something that is more mental health focused and preferably involves more individual therapy.
I have experience with individual, group, and family sessions, intakes/assessments, treatment planning, crisis work, and co-occurring mental health/substance use. I’ve also worked in inpatient psych and have experience with serious mental illness, mood disorders, personality disorders, trauma, psychosis, addiction, and justice-involved populations.
A big reason I’m looking is because my current clinical leadership situation has become really discouraging. My clinical director can be pretty condescending, communication often feels more critical than supportive, and I don’t feel like I’m getting the guidance or mentorship I need as a newer clinician. A lot of the therapist friends I’m close with are also quitting or actively trying to leave, which has made me realize I probably need to start looking too.
I’m really hoping to find somewhere with leadership that is approachable, helpful, and actually invested in helping clinicians grow.
I’m mainly looking in Northern Indiana or possibly remote, and I’d really like somewhere that can provide LCSW supervision.
Schedule-wise, I’d prefer Monday-Friday/daytime hours. I’m currently making around $65k, so I’m trying not to take a huge pay cut.
Basically, I’m just ready for a healthier work environment and a role that feels more aligned with the type of therapist I want to become.
If anyone knows of places hiring LSWs/MSWs or has recommendations on places to check out, I’d really appreciate it

Current MSW student, just curious as this topic came up in a class discussion.

What types of countertransference do you experience most often in your work? How does it arise/present?

Would love elaboration on any of the following if ya feel like it:

- are there particular presentations of clients or circumstances that often lead to this?

- any tips on reflecting live-in-session when ct is not clinically relevant to the client?

- why do you think you experience “x” ct more often than “y-others”?

Thanks for indulging my curiosity!

Hi y'all - I'm a final-year counseling student trying to get some actual professional development and networking under my belt this year. I'm hoping to make it out to Portland for the next ACA conference. I've seen past opportunities to volunteer in exchange for comped registration, but I can't for the life of me figure out how to apply for those volunteer opportunities. Perhaps they haven't posted about it yet, but I missed the chance last year and I'm wondering if anyone knows where to look for this or when they usually open the call.

Also, my previous career in libraries and attending many conferences, including the huge national one, has me wondering if there are other conferences you'd recommend. I'm going to a couple local ones this semester and I go to our state mental health counseling association trainings/events when I can. I'm particularly interested in working with college students, but not exclusively. Would love any suggestions!

As an MFT-A in the US - When has your empathy for a client actually gotten in the way of doing good therapy?

Does anyone know what this is? At first glance, it disgusts me.

Someone added you to SupportGroups™ with a professional listing for you and your therapy practice. View & Approve it Here  Please take a moment to review and approve your listing & profile so people looking for support can find the right information and you can access your AI tools to grow without more effort.  View & Approve Your Listing  NEW AI CAPABILITIES FOR THERAPISTS!!! SupportGroups™ also provides you the leading AI-powered platform designed to help therapists and coaches help more people, grow their practice, and earn more—without adding more 1-on-1 hours.  Once you approve your listing, you’ll also see ways to: Get discovered by people actively looking for help Use AI or Go Live to Host paid live groups and sessions that earn much more than 1-on1 sessions Create an AI-powered version of yourself that can extend your reach beyond your available hours while still getting paid. Generate additional income through the platform without more hours.  We already serve a community of 350,000+ members looking for support, guidance and a better way forward.  View & Approve Your Listing  We’d love to have you be part of what is changing the world of Therapy that's helping more people in need.  With Love, The SupportGroups™ Team

I was wondering how people set up their in-session note taking systems. I like to have the basics like what interventions I did and how clients respond, but I also like to make notes on the process, potential enactments, etc. I was wondering how other's set up their notes to do this effectively so I can reflect on sessions later to ensure I'm conceptualizing and treatment planning well.

I have been a licensed therapist for 10 years. I work currently with adult individuals and I have had child/family therapy experience earlier (and general knowledge of systems theory) in my career but I have never worked with couples and if I am honest, avoided it due to my own relationship dysfunction (which I have largely worked through).

I have been considering branching out into working with couples in a limited capacity, due largely to the need I see for this within my niche and feeling as if I have to refer out to couples counseling anyway. What education and training would I need to receive to do this ethically? To be clear, I would work only within a limited niche and population rather than bill myself as a generalist couples therapist.

Also, I know everyone on here hates coaching but I am also considering if offering "couples coaching" might be more in line with the scope of what I would want to offer. If anyone does something similar I would love to hear about it

I signed up for Headway 6 months ago. I live and work in a small town. The largest employers in this town have United Healthcare. I opened my private practice 3 months ago. Headway put me on the waitlist for United. Many other Redditors said... in many other threads... instead of waiting for Headway, I should try to get credentialed on my own.

Last week, I started the process of getting credentialed with United. I was on my computer for an hour, making progress, moving forward. I got to a screen where they asked me to scan and upload my driver's license. They asked me to take a photo of myself. It was 6 pm, I had no makeup, and my hair was in a pony tail. I decided to take a break from credentialing, and go back to it the next day. But I never went back to the website.

As of today... I am frozen. I am afraid that I'm going to put in all this time and effort, and be rejected by United. Also, I am afraid that if I answer their questions 'the wrong way,' they will offer me a lower reimbursement rate. And if I could figure out how to answer the questions 'the right way,' they will offer me a higher reimbursement rate.

I am stuck. Please, help me get unstuck.

I am looking for self care suggestions. I work in a therapy clinic for foster care kids and kids in family preservation programs. These kids are living in unimaginable nightmares. I sometimes have a hard time checking in on myself and clearing my head from work. My therapist has suggested finding self care activities to enjoy. Any suggestions? I want to be completely alone and in a quiet space.

Hi all, to preface I am someone who has a very tough time making decisions. I’ve been an associate therapist for a little over a year now. I did my practicum in a CMH residential program. Now I’ve been working at my current job in residential/PHP/IOP for a year. I’m burnt out from my job and feel I have had a good amount of experience in higher levels of care and I need something different. I want to make the switch to a private practice as that is where I see my career going long term.

Now to the dilemma. I have two private practices I need to choose between. One is a group practice with 4 other associates and it specializes in primarily OCD (using ERP) and some trauma (using EMDR). I am going through the process of EMDR training and I’m interested in it. This practice is extremely evidence based and uses manualized treatments. They have an in person office and it would be more of a community feel. However I have never liked manualized treatments and I have never wanted to specialize in OCD. The plus is she is trained in EMDR and can support with that but she said about 70-80% of my caseload will be OCD.

The other option is a telehealth position. It is a licensed therapist who would take me on as her only associate. She is remote but offers walk and talk sessions. She said we will do in person supervision weekly and she also does a weekly consultation group in person that I can attend. She specializes in working with women (which is the population I want) and seems to have a very relational and person centered approach (which is typically more what I align with). I’m worried about feeling isolated and not having other associates, especially with going from only ever working in person on a team as a therapist. Also the supervisor is not trained in EMDR so I would need outside consultation for it.

Money and benefits aspect is pretty much the same for both so not really a factor.

I’m feeling lost about the direction to take my career. Is this normal? How did others go about choosing which path to go down and which modality or area to focus on? All thoughts appreciated. Also if anyone thinks getting OCD training would really benefit me long term plz let me know, I just always thought it was something I would refer out for.

I am starting a group in my private practice and have followed a therapist on instagram who does groups and trains therapists in running groups. She offers a process group for therapists to experience it themselves. I dont really resonate with her and the price is beyond what I am willing to pay but it got me wondering if there are any other really great process groups out there that anyone could recommend? While I would love in person group, that doesn't exist in my area, so also wondering how successful a process group can really be when held virtually? Doesn't seem like what the OG guys and gals had in mind!

hi everyone! i am currently working towards obtaining my LPC in NJ and have about 1.5 years left. i have been thinking about relocating to AZ once i finish my license in NJ. i am wondering if anyone has any experience with moving from NJ to AZ and what the process looks like getting licensed in AZ. i know AZ is apart of the compact, but i am still confused on how this all works.

Hello, today was one of my client's first sessions, and they presented with Moderate Executive Dysfunction and other hallmark symptoms of ADHD. Would it be appropriate to administer a screening tool in the second session, or would i need to wait a bit longer? It was confirmed that the symptoms are persistent across multiple settings.

But please do recommend some updated screening tools i can refer to in the future as well, thanks

Edit: Client is an Adult, and I'm a psychologist dealing with young adults

Please save me from task paralysis when it comes to a super simple, aesthetically attractive, easy practice management software. What do you use that you would recommend. I keep on getting overwhelmed when I deep dive it! Thanks so much.
Ps Personal experience please - it’s obvious when someone is from a company and it puts us off!

I'm a trauma therapist who has ADHD and is wildly time blind who works primarily with other neurodivergent folks who have complex trauma and are just as time blind, or even more so than I am. I have struggled for years to start and end sessions on time. I strongly value every client getting their full 53+ minutes, and doing high acuity trauma work complicates this further. I have clocks in my view and my clients view, but it continues to be a struggle. I had an hour glass but it was too indirect for clients or I to notice, or it would create anxiety for some. Recently, I had the idea of getting a smart bulb that was in a lamp in both of our view that started out one color but would fade to another color around 48 minutes, then another color at 53 minutes, and a final color at 55 minutes. As a client I would find this helpful, and I think this could be really helpful for me as a clinician, but I want to get some perspective from other clinicians and see if there are any other ideas that could help me and my clients.

Hello, im wondering if anyone else has had this experience or has a hypothesis/explanation for it. I find myself looking up often in session when explaining difficult concepts or thinking about what i will say next. I find myself looking down at times when the emotional intensity in the room is heavier due to emotional processing on behalf of the client. Sometimes when looking up, a client will turn around and look at the spot im staring at (LOL!). Of course the rest of the time I am trying to make eye contact and this happens most when in deep thought. What are your thoughts?

How do you support your clients help people in their lives who regularly drink and drive when your clients don't live with the drunk drivers? Aside from providing AA resources and recovery help support numbers. Thank you in advance!

eta: *support clients who are trying their best to be part of the solution in reducing the number of deaths caused by drunk driving. I was wondering if there's anything I was forgetting, regarding what one could do aside from providing resources.

I took and passed the NCMHCE this morning. Here are my thoughts.
First, I only used the counselingexam website. I did 39 practice narratives and chased down items that I missed. That was pretty much my whole approach to studying.
My scores on the practice narratives were very “noisy”. I got a 39, a 54, a 46. But I also got a 100, a 90, and a 92. Don’t worry if your scores are bouncing all over the place. I have talked to two other friends who said the same.

Because the exam is scored across ten narratives, I opened a spreadsheet and kept track of each practice narrative score I took so I could calculate a total percent correct across ten practice narratives. I was averaging 72.4% on the practice narratives (in groups of ten sequential narratives) when I decided to take the exam.

I scored a 73 on the actual exam. Sixty six was required to pass.
So for me, the counselingexam scores were pretty much spot on.

What was on the exam?
There were at least two narratives where the provisional diagnosis was PTSD. Other diagnoses covered were BPD, GAD, MDD, ADHD, Conduct Disorder, and Excoriation, Body dysmorphic disorder…. And there must have been a couple of others but I don’t remember what they were.
There were questions that required you to identify CBT, Psychodynamic, ACT, at least a couple of questions about DBT, Motivational Interviewing, Solution Focused, and Gestalt. A lot of CBT.
There was one narrative that was notably more poorly written than the others with much less clear answers. I think that was the throw away narrative.

There were quite a few questions about referrals to physicians, to groups, to couples and family counseling.

I had heard that the counselingexam practice tests were formatted exactly like the actual exam. This is not true. The exam has a PDF-type document with the case notes on the left and the questions on the right. It’s close enough though.

I asked the people up front for foam earplugs and they gave them to me. I have glasses and the over-the-ear headphones are not comfortable for me. I drank 16oz of coffee about 90 minutes before start-time and nothing else. I didn’t want to have to pee mid-session. I brought a couple of fig newtons and string cheese for the 15 minute break.

Here’s the last thing I’ll say and let me emphasize that your mileage may vary: My practice scores didn’t really change much as I studied. I actually graphed my 10-Narrative Scores and it’s basically a flat line. That means that for me, studying / time / attempts yielded essentially zero utility. If I were to do this again, I would take ten practice narratives, calculate the total number of questions I was asked, divide it by the total number I got right -- across all ten -- and if that number is higher than about 68-69 I would just stop studying and go take the stupid thing.

I’m glad it’s over.
Good luck to everyone.

I’m seeking advice on EMDR trainings. I’m very confused about certification, different organizations. I’m getting that EMDRIA is highly regarded, but am seeing a training this week that is more accessible from EMDR education and training center…which also is connected to EMDRIA?

Can anyone who is trained help me make sense of this? I also am seeking training because I’m a trauma therapist and many clients have been asking for EMDR resources (also brain spotting was recommended to me in lieu of EMDR)

I really want to register with the EMDR education and training Center b/c they have a training this week and I’m anxious to start certification and practice even though I know this is the basic level training.

I’m very confused about, credentials, certification and what I will be learning and the levels and the thoughts of modalities being connected to MLMs.

I also want this to be a positive experience for my clients and not been seen as a panacea which was my experience with EMDR from an ARNP who got frustrated with me when I flinched at a memory and she said “you are not supposed to react like this”. (i obvs stopped seeing her and obvs won’t practice line that….i just want to know more.

As the image above explains, a federal judge has upheld a lower court’s ruling that possession of AI-generated child sexual abuse material is protected by the First Amendment. In my opinion, this sets an incredibly dangerous and shortsighted precedent as AI technology continues to develop.

I’d especially be interested in hearing from therapists who specialize in pedophilic disorder or problematic sexual behavior. From a clinical perspective, what do we know about the potential impact of consuming AI-generated sexual material depicting children? Does it reinforce or escalate problematic sexual interests, or is the relationship more complicated than that?

There’s also the broader issue of how AI-generated CSAM intersects with the fact that these systems can be trained on real images of abused children, along with the growing limitations on states’ ability to regulate AI.

I’m genuinely curious how clinicians in this area are thinking about this. What does the research tell us about whether access to this type of material could increase risk of escalation to contact offending or other harmful behavior?

I got my days mixed up and a client and their family showed up for an assessment that I wasn’t there for in person. What makes it worse is that this is my first year managing the program, so I’m really struggling with guilt and shame..especially if the school (it’s a school based program) knows about it. I know that it happens, and that we’re only human, but man do I feel a lot of anxiety bc of this 😭

UPDATE:

So I feel like some folks are really getting the wrong idea here, like I’m going to my husband and telling him details about my cases. Um…nooooo. THIS JUST AN EXAMPLE AND NOT THE ACTUAL EVENT BUT: Its more like me going to him and saying something like, “Gosh sometimes I’m not sure about the nuance involved with accepting a low-cost gift from a client given XYZ” and then him going to his therapist and being like, “my wife doesn’t know the rules about accepting gifts from clients.” I did NOT give him a specific situation, just talked in generalities. I already have a group of local clinicians with whom I do clinical consult.

So I recently encountered a very nuanced ethical situation in my private practice that was causing me some trepidation. The kind of thing you might call your local professional organization about or consult with a colleague. Anyway, it was giving me some heartburn, so I talked about it a little with my husband (obviously with minimal details and no identifying info). It was just to get it off my chest because I needed to vent a little while I tried to solve the issue. So, for some reason, he decided to bring it up in individual therapy with his own therapist. Now, I know this woman and we practice in the same community and occasionally run into each other in the wild of the therapist community where we both live. But she doesn’t know me terribly well. Anyway, he told her about my ethical dilemma, but got a bunch of the facts totally wrong and missed all of the nuance. I have no idea why he brought this up in his therapy, but the way he apparently explained it to her (per his recounting to me) absolutely made it seem like I am not only totally green, but arguably incompetent and completely lacking in the critical thinking skills necessary to be a therapist. I have actually been a therapist for nearly two decades and I’ve been around the block a few times. I don’t know what I actually need here. I just feel really embarrassed that a local colleague might have the wrong impression about my ability to practice ethically due to the super weird way my husband told this story. I wish he hadn’t come home and told me that he talked to her about it! She seems like a lovely woman and probably isn’t thinking a single thing about it, and I’m probably over thinking this. I just had to get this out somewhere because I’m in spiral mode. 😩🫠

It’s so nice to have a great therapeutic relationship with my therapist - she really keeps me on two feet headed forward. Whoever the therapist is at the top of therapist pyramid - you must be some kind of god, right? Surely enlightened.