How to Be a Better Therapist - Six Myths

Dr. Tori Olds breaks down six myths we may have about how to become a good therapist. Most of our psychology training in grad school is spent on learning theories and therapy techniques, but we don't spend enough time focusing on the most important predictor of success, the therapeutic alliance. The truth is, the most important difference between a great therapist and a bad therapist is our ability to establish a strong connection between with our clients. Common factors research demonstrates that interpersonal skills, the ability to communicate warmth and empathy and the flexibility to align our goals with those of our clients' are critical to becoming a better therapist. While these skills may come more naturally to some, deliberate practice research shows that these are skills that can be learned through training or clinical supervision. This video is the first chapter in a continuing education course for therapists on the research and practice of becoming a master therapist.
00:00 Many Therapist Training Programs Don't Provide Us with the Tools to Become Great Therapists
04:11 Myth 1 - Therapists Improve Over Time
05:21 Myth 2 - It's All About Learning the Best Theories and Techniques
06:47 Myth 3 - Theory Doesn't Matter
07:57 Myth 4 - The Therapeutic Alliance is Just About Warmth and Empathy
08:31 Myth 5 - You Need to Be Confident to Be a Great Therapist
09:36 Myth 6 - You Can't Learn to Be a "Supershrink."
11:10 Overview of the Full Course: Deliberate Practice and a Road Map For Clinical Excellence
To sign up for the full course you can go here:
therapywisdom.com/becoming-a-...
You can find my other fully video-based CEU courses: Integrating Experiential Psychotherapies, Ethical Trauma Treatment (3 Ethics CEUs) and New Brain Science here:
toriolds.com/ceus-for-therapi...
If you have any questions or are interested in joining one of my training groups you can reach me at:
toriolds.com/contact/