Curt and Katie talk about taking personal responsibility to decrease the impacts of the “Burnout Machine” that is the mental health profession. We look at what should go into an ideal work place and actions each of us can take to improve our own situation as well as the system as a whole.
It’s time to reimagine therapy and what it means to be a therapist. To support you as a whole person and a therapist, your hosts, Curt Widhalm and Katie Vernoy talk about how to approach the role of therapist in the modern age.
In this episode we talk about:
Looking at how to create better systems for mental health workplaces
Magical places that could provide adequate pay, training, and emotionally-focused supervision
The importance of incorporating the appropriate employee support into budgets
Employee engagement versus turnover
The need for larger conversations with stakeholders to improve things systemically
Sorting through the challenges and benefits of efficiency and productivity
Looking at training supervisors
The faulty notion that therapy isn’t about the therapist
The need for the business or administrative aspects – we can’t get rid of them.
Employee, employer, or entrepreneur skills are required for the system to work
Balancing the focus on the clinician as a member of the system, a professional, and as an individual
The risks of human connection within an employment situation
The benefits of exploring the emotions and human connection on professional development, client outcomes
Looking at the expectations around supervision that are described in graduate school
Addressing the parallel process within the supervisor/supervisee and therapist/client
The power differential in becoming a supervisor and navigating the relationship
Knowing ourselves at all developmental stages
The impact of “Supervision of Supervision” groups
The unfortunate scenario where people are rushing to licensure without meeting their developmental stages
Being able to support prelicensees’ primary needs of survival (providing financial stability) so they can slow down and take care of their developmental stages
How to set up a career that works for you
How to identify opportunities to move the profession forward
Assessing your own capacities to improve your career and the profession
The problem of being cynical and complaining about the system instead of taking action
Taking a personal look and personal responsibility for your career
