Showing Up for Your Clients Curt and Katie chat about the importance of therapists in the therapeutic process. We look at how the medical model, upon which the continuing education and ethical guidelines are built, is flawed leading to solely client-facing training and rules. We talk about the importance of optimizing your practices as well as the negative clinical outcomes when you aren’t taking care of yourself. 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: The case for self-care as continuing education The problem with looking at consumer protection bodies rather than the research The goals of helping people and the problem with sacrificing ourselves in those efforts How we protect consumers by taking care of ourselves The importance of being strong clinicians, optimizing our performance The problem with the medical model and framing ourselves as inconsequential to therapeutic outcomes When we aim models or regulations around the minimally acceptable competence or performance The benefit of seeing therapy as art versus as a science How non-specific effects (therapist effects, client effects and effects of the therapeutic relationship) are more important than the specific treatment modality or adherence Common factors and the Contextual Model The requirement for a Bond for successful treatment Pathways to change according to the Contextual Model: Real Relationship, Expectations, Specific Ingredients How we practice at being better humans Why we need to have more in our lives than being therapists Showing up in resourced ways Elements of burnout as specific predictors for clients having worse outcomes, dropping out, or not engaging actively in treatment The importance of optimal performance in creating a therapeutic alliance How we aren’t trained on optimal performance, focus, setting up our environment The need to refocus our graduate programs to support the education that is needed to be a good therapist How self-awareness can impact clinical work The lack of humanity in the medical model and research based on it Who we are makes a difference The need to understand how to take care of ourselves and structure our practice   Our Generous Sponsors: SimplePractice Running a private practice is rewarding, but it can also be demanding. SimplePractice changes that. This practice management solution helps you focus on what's most important—your clients—by simplifying the business side of private practice like billing and scheduling. More than 60,000 professionals use SimplePractice —the leading EHR platform for private practitioners everywhere – to power telehealth sessions, schedule appointments, file insurance claims, communicate with clients, and so much more—all on one HIPAA-compliant platform.  Get your first 2 months of SimplePractice for the price of one when you sign up for an account today. This exclusive offer is valid for new customers only.  Go to www.simplepractice.com/therapyreimagined to learn more.    Private Practice Grief  What if you could give them a true, meaningful experience… and never feel nervous or overwhelmed in the face of grief again? What if you had an expansive toolbox of resources and ways to help your clients navigate thru their pain? What if you had a solid framework to guide you? Private Practice Grief Trainings help you as clinicians and therapists to confidently address the devastating effects of grief so your clients can find hope and joy again. Debi Jenkins Frankle is the force behind Private Practice Grief Trainings and she is passionate about helping YOU transform yourself as a clinician. Grief comes in our offices every day. And once you recognize it and know how to handle it, you'll be able to expand your practice so we can heal the world!! Advanced Grief Therapy Training for on