David McPhee's Blog
How does my therapist read my mind? He understands me like no one else does. He only has a few years experience in the field. Is this a skill therapists learn?
BLOG How does my therapist read my mind? He understands me like no one else does. He only has a few years experience in the field. Is this a skill therapists learn? People rarely talk about talent with therapists. They talk about training and experience, which of course are indispensable,...Continue reading→
Is diagnosis important in psychotherapy?
We don’t always need accurate diagnoses to provide excellent psychotherapy. Diagnosis is more important when prescribing drugs. It’s also a highly inadequate shorthand to classify humans. We notice things groups of clients seem to have in common, and then create diagnoses, the majority quite subjective and soft compared to standard medical diagnoses.Continue reading→
When should a therapist show anger in a session?
BLOG When should a therapist show anger in a session? Here are a couple of times I have openly shown anger in a session. Keep in mind that if a therapist lets anger show, it’s calibrated to the client, and never threatening or frightening.1. Timmy was 11. He’d been sexually...Continue reading→
What is resistance in psychotherapy and what does it look like to a therapist?
I deeply dislike how “resistance” has somehow become a bad thing. No, resistance is the client’s ability to slow down certain interpretations, certain kinds of probing or premature conclusions by a therapist. That makes it a healthy defense that helps keep the process at the right pace.Continue reading→
What happens if a therapist challenges a client beyond what is mentally comfortable for them?
BLOG What happens if a therapist challenges a client beyond what is mentally comfortable for them? Therapy happens. Psychotherapy is not a soothing mental massage session, even though an effective massage therapist may make you a bit uncomfortable at times, or a personal trainer, or your doctor. A good therapist...Continue reading→
How do you know when someone is really ready for therapy? Or do you just assume they’re ready because they walked in the door?
The therapist is the one who has to be ready. Calm, clear, open, attentive, and ready for the person who walked in the door. No assumptions, no judgments, just unconditional presence. Continue reading→