Most new clinicians will learn about the window of tolerance and arousal states early in their careers but not what to do with that information.

#TherapistsInTraining #GraduatePrograms #traumainformedcare #practicum #clinicalsupervision

Orienting graduate students to the principles of trauma informed care has felt increasingly important.
Taking this concept from vague to specific transforms it from a nice idea into a useful clinical practice.

#TherapistsInTraining #GraduatePrograms #traumainformedcare #practicum

The six core principles of #traumainformedcare. By implementing these principles, we create safe and supportive environments for all clients. These principles have overlap with other care principles, such as with client-centered care and neurodivergent affirming care.

#TherapistsInTraining

70% of adults have reported experiences of potentially traumatizing vents.
Trauma informed care focuses on avoiding retraumatizing clients.

#TherapistsInTraining #GraduatePrograms #traumainformedcare #practicum #clinicalsupervision

I hear more and more often from students about a fear of pathologizing clients. That is, that they do not want to treat clients as if there is something wrong with the client because of how the client reacted to traumatizing or challenging circumstances.

Note: "David" is a fictional client.

When we can better and more accurately understand how clients are affected by their circumstances - like chronic poverty - we can serve them better.

Note: "Maria" is a fictional client used for demonstrative purposes in this presentation.

#TherapistsInTraining #GraduatePrograms #traumainformedcare

Balancing structure and flow in therapeutic sessions in vital. Good, effective therapy uses some of both - and changes the balance point based on the client's presentation and changing needs.

#TherapistsInTraining #GraduatePrograms #traumainformedcare #practicum #clinicalsupervision

Acute versus Complex Trauma experiences in therapy
The longer I do this work - especially in community mental health - the more I see complex trauma as almost commonplace when it comes to this work.

#TherapistsInTraining #GraduatePrograms #traumainformedcare #practicum #clinicalsupervision

Acting like a therapist versus Being a therapist.

Each new clinician develops their therapeutic skills and voice in their own way, on their own timelines.

#TherapistsInTraining #GraduatePrograms #clientcenteredcare #practicum #clinicalsupervision

Disorganization and danger in unexpected silence.
Therapeutic silence is a powerful tool...when deployed correctly.

#TherapistsInTraining #GraduatePrograms #clientcenteredcare #practicum #clinicalsupervision #traumainformedcare

Client centered care starts and ends with respect for the whole person in front of us. One aspect is respect is confidentiality, both to the letter of the law and the spirit.

#TherapistsInTraining #GraduatePrograms #clientcenteredcare #practicum #clinicalsupervision

Public policy changes affect the people we serve in community mental health. Your personal beliefs and politics don't change that truth. And if you care about our community members, you will care that they are so deeply and negative impacted by these policy changes.
#TherapistsInTraining

As therapists, helping clients succeed in processing and moving through overwhelming emotions is a core element of the therapeutic work. And it's part of our job to be able to tolerate those heavy and intense emotions without being overwhelmed ourselves.

#TherapistsInTraining #GraduatePrograms

A core principle of client-centered care: acceptance.
Accepting all emotions from clients is vital. This is not the same as accepting all behaviors.
Anger can be one of the hardest emotions to hold in the therapeutic space.

#TherapistsInTraining #GraduatePrograms #clientcenteredcare #practicum

Has discussion about emotional availability come up during your training process?

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#clinicalsupervision #therapistintraining #therapytiktok #psychologistintraining

🗃️ Some clients need more than the standard amount of structure in their sessions in order for the time together to be effective.
I often find myself recommending opening or closing rituals as one option.

#TherapistTips #practicumstudent #clinicalsupervision #therapistintraining

🎥 Motivational Interviewing and Prochaska & DiClemente's Transtheoretical Model of Change are essential tools for understanding and supporting clients. Recognizing the stage a client is in is crucial for effective intervention.

#MotivationalInterviewing #PreparationStage #TherapistTraining

🎥 Motivational Interviewing and Prochaska & DiClemente's Transtheoretical Model of Change go hand in hand. Knowing what stage a client is in makes a critical difference in guiding our interventions.

#MotivationalInterviewing #PrecontemplationPhase #TherapistTraining #BehaviorChange

🎥 Motivational Interviewing (MI) is one of my favorite things to teach new therapists because it's flexible, doesn't rely on preexisting skills or knowledge, useful at the start of treatment, and fairly universal.🌟

Key components of the MI spirit: Partnership, Acceptance, Compassion, and Evocation.

🌟 While being likable can feel important, it should never overshadow the development of a strong therapeutic alliance.

#TherapeuticAlliance #TherapyTips #MentalHealthMatters #TherapistLife #NewTherapists #EmpathyInTherapy #AuthenticityInPractice #DrGrayInsights

👩‍⚕️ Guilt and shame: these terms often get used interchangeably, but they're quite different, and understanding this can significantly impact our approach with clients. 🧠

#TherapyTalk #MentalHealthAwareness #GuiltVsShame #TherapistLife #MentalHealthMatters

The leader is responsible because they're the leader.
All adult professionals are responsible for themselves, of course. Leaders are responsible for not just themselves, but for their teams.

#clinicalsupervisor #psychologistintraining #clinicalleadership #nonprofitmanagement

💬Some new therapists shy away from CBT, DBT, or similar modalities, citing the misconception that behavior-based therapies overlook emotional content. In reality, these therapies frequently cultivate the distress tolerance necessary for engaging in deeper emotional work. 🧠

#BehaviorTherapy

🧘‍♀️ Most of us have been trained to use silence as a powerful tool in therapy. However, it's important to remember that therapeutic silence isn't universally beneficial. Some clients may feel uncomfortable or misunderstood when met with silence, to a degree that is counterproductive.

😊 Something that's often misunderstood: su1c1dal ideation isn't always a crisis. This might sound controversial, but it's important to remember this.

#MentalHealthAwareness #TherapistTips #MentalHealthMatters #TherapyCommunity

🌟 Trauma isn't linear, and rushing into narrative work can sometimes do more harm than good. It's about creating a safe space, building trust, and ensuring that the foundation is solid before diving deeper. 🛡️

#TraumaTherapy #TherapistLife #NarrativeProcessing #MentalHealthAwareness #TherapistTips

🌱 Having supervised 75+ therapists, I've seen firsthand the transformative power of clinical supervision in a therapist's development journey. Clinical supervision not only enhances your skills but also builds confidence as you navigate your therapeutic path.

#ClinicalSupervision

🌿 As a therapist, understanding and maintaining therapeutic boundaries is crucial. Let's explore the complexity of boundaries and how we interact with them:

#TherapeuticBoundaries #TherapistTips #MentalHealthMatters #TherapyLife #BoundariesInTherapy #TherapistJourney #MentalHealthAwareness

🌟 I want to spotlight the imbalanced relationship between therapists and clients. As someone who’s been in the field for a while, I’ve seen how easy it is for the therapeutic frame to become distorted and the sessions to lose focus on the needs of the client.🤝✨

#TherapistLife #TherapyBalance

💭Understanding client resistance is crucial: sometimes, what we perceive as resistance could be our client's way of expressing fear, mistrust, or simply a need for more time to process their thoughts and emotions.

#TherapistLife #UnderstandingResistance #TherapyInsights #MentalHealthMatters