Working Phase is a weekly newsletter to help therapists be informed, resilient, and effective in and out of the therapy room. Was this email forwarded to you? Subscribe now to receive the newsletter in your inbox, every Sunday, totally free!
We held a reader poll last week, and I’m so grateful for all who participated! The results were split, but it looks like the biggest need at this time is that you get the updates and encouragement you need to stay effective and focused as a therapist.
Makes sense to me!
If that sounds right to you, the “Presenting Issues” section of the newsletter is where you’ll see the news that impacts us. I’ll also provide the context you need to use it to your benefit and the benefit of your clients. We’ve covered the latest on student loans, giant news stories, and industry insights.
If you are going to be looking for more resources, support, and collaboration (as we had still a 3rd of our vote tally for these things), don’t worry! You’re going to get exactly what you need in the opening essay, and the “Essentials” and “Voices” sections.
Lots of people need time to identify and communicate their needs. Maybe you can relate.
Therapists spend thousands of hours attuning to the needs of others. This can have some strange effects on our communication.
To my introverted therapists, it might not be so easy to volunteer your needs or make requests. It can take a while to warm up and open up when someone wants to help you.
And to my extroverts in the house, isn’t a surprise when someone actually wants to hear about your needs (for a freakin’ change!)? But your first answer to the question “what do you need?” might not be the truest answer if only you had the time to think it through.
So let me say this:
If you find yourself caught off guard by requests for your needs, opinions in your daily life, it’s totally valid to tell your teammate, supervisor, bestie, partner, or parent, “Thanks for asking, let me think about that and get back to you!”
That’s why I communicate with you via email: so you can respond whenever you want.
So if you have feedback, you don’t have to wait til the next reader poll. You can reply to any newsletter, any week, and I WILL read and respond to it.
Supporter Connect and Learn: Save the Date!
Intergenerational Exchange: Open Enrollment for Online Process Group (CA/TX USA)
Ryan Spencer, MFT, CGT is starting a therapist-only training and process group.
He’s looking for therapists who are interested in a long-term, small community of peers who are both emotionally and professional supportive to each other.
Check out the flyer, and if this sounds like something you need, contact Ryan directly.
I have personally experienced life-changing transformations from working with Ryan in multiple settings, and recommend working with him without reservation!
Presenting Issues: AI Therapy Ban Signed in Illinois
Several states have passed or are considering bans and restrictions on AI “therapy”.
There are a couple interesting sections in the Illinois bill that just passed last week, called the “Wellness and Oversight for Psychological Resources Act” (WOPR Act).
-
A therapist must remain responsible (and liable?) for the communication and decisions made by an AI system.
-
A client’s session notes or recordings can’t be fed into an AI system unless they have provided informed consent.
-
No company can advertise that they offer “therapy” unless they are offering access to the therapeutic support of a licensed therapist.
This seems like basic protections for our clients and our profession for now, while still giving lots of room for therapists to experiment with the new tools. But what do you think?
The WOPR Act is only 8 pages long, I recommend reading the full text here: https://www.ilga.gov/documents/legislation/104/HB/PDF/10400HB1806lv.pdf
Joy Intervention: The Remarkable Life of Ibelin | Netflix
|
This is a story about online gaming, but it’s also a story about how empathy transcends physical barriers, borders, and the limitation of the human body.
You will need every single tissue in your house and it will be worth it.🤧
Have a beautiful week!
Responses