Should Therapists Admit to Making Mistakes in Therapy?
Curt and Katie chat about what therapists can do to effectively navigate their own mistakes in the therapy room. We look at what constitutes a mistake in therapy, the types of mistakes that therapists make, and considerations on how to address mistakes. This is an ethics continuing education podcourse.
Transcripts for this episode will be available at mtsgpodcast.com!
In this podcast episode we talk about how modern therapists can navigate making mistakes
When therapists make mistakes, clients can prematurely terminate treatment or fail to meet their goals. Most research on effective therapy looks at factors that minimize the therapist’s tendency to make mistakes, rather than what to do when they happen. However, focusing on the effectiveness of handling mistakes is one of the factors that clinicians can actually control. This workshop focuses on how effectively handling mistakes made by therapists and the mental health system can lead to better outcomes for clients.
What should therapists do when they make a mistake?
·       Looking at the humanity of the therapist
·       It is important to define what is actually a mistake
·       Looking at where mistakes can happen within treatment
·       Mistakes can be defined based on the definition of success
What types of mistakes do therapists make in therapy?
·       Incorrect or mismatched treatment without adjustment
·       Treatment failures happen for many different reasons – what is a mistake versus a work in progress?
·       Mistakes can be based on the individual client or therapist factors and the focus of the therapist in the therapeutic work and relationship
When should therapists admit mistakes?
·       Consideration of whether admitting the mistake will harm the client
·       Going beyond “non-malfeasance”
·       Exploring how clients like to handle a mistake
·       Paying attention to therapist’s own preferences or bias
·       Understanding when and how to take responsibility for what you’ve done as a therapist
·       Avoiding the impact on the client that they believe that they have made the mistake
·       Making sure therapists are resourced when they engage in this process
What are the systemic errors in mental health treatment?
·       Taking a global view to therapy can allow for seeing the other elements and systems
·       Recognizing the limits of what therapists can do to solve clients’ concerns, including due to agency policies
·       Harm caused by the profession and professional associations (statements made, research completed, etc.)

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