ON THE FRONTIER: Frontiers of Psychotherapist Newsletter Nov'18
Hello Folks on the Frontier!
I don't know about you, but I feel the panic creeping into December. We are at the closing of 2018 already??
Nearly 100 practitioners from all over the world have taken part in this in-depth online learning course. It has been spectacular and even breathtaking to see how each of you weaved the ideas into your workplace.
Someone said to me that he thought I was crazy that consult with each and every participant... for free! That's part of the deal. My aim is to make the learning experience as individualised as possible. (See what others say about the course)
2019 is around the bend. We are likely to kick off with the 5th batch of RCS in Jan-Feb 2019. DROP ME AN EMAIL if you are keen to be part of the waitlist. The reason for this: I cap the number of participants for each batch. (Huh? Limitied space for an online course? Yes, that's right. That's because the design of the course is on a drip-based approach, 1 idea at a time across close to 6months, and I provide real-time interaction to your thoughts and queries).
Mastermind Group Consults from All Over the World
The practice and performance of therapy can be a lonely endeavor, especially for clinicians who are solo practitioners, which was what led me to consider form a mastermind group for you. The idea is to end therapy as an individual sport, and start to evolve our field more like a team sport.
Since the last newsletter, I've gotten about 2 dozens of practitioners from various countries who expressed interest in finding out more about the idea around coming together for group consults.
I'm aware that costs might be a concern. Given that this will be held monthly, I'm reducing the usual rates to AUD$180/month. This also comes with quarterly individual follow-up at no extra cost.
For more details on the format, how this will be conducted on video conference, and FAQs, CLICK HERE.
If you have questions or like to sign up, please drop me an EMAIL before 7th of Dec, 2018. (That's because I need to see the numbers and geographical location, to detail the date and time for the first mastermind group in Jan'19)
They won't care how much you know until they know how much you care. ~ John Wooden
Topic: A System of Practice: Creating a Framework To Make Deliberate Practice Happen
I'm sharing this presentation at the Achieving Clinical Excellence Conference in Østersund, Sweden, 2018 again, as some of you have emailed me about the topics in the highlights listed below.
Don't forget to go to the bonus materials! Go to darylchow.com/ace
Highlights from A System of Practice Talk
Here are some highlights from the video above (yep, you can click on each of the links to jump straight to each topic):
3 Roles in Order to Develop a System of Practice: Practitioner, Manager, and Visionary
The 4 Pillars of Deliberate Practice
The Taxonomy of Deliberate Practice Activities (TDPA)
To access the entire conference, Click here (Watch the brilliant talks by Birgit Villa, Scott Miller, Susanne Bargmann with Ulrik Elholm… and more!)
FROM MY DESK:
Recent Blog Posts:
You might wanna subscribe to my other blog site, Full Circles: Reflections on Living
Against Resilience: Numbness is Not a Strength
Here's an exclusive peek into 6 chapters from the book, The First Kiss: Undoing the Intake Model and Igniting First Sessions in Psychotherapy (available now in Amazon and other stores)
Intake Second (Not First)
The following chapters are NOT available in the Kindle preview:
The Perils of an Intake Model
The 4P’s versus The 1P
Avoid TBU (“True But Useless”) Information
Follow The Pain
Follow the Spark
NOTE: IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN AN AUDIO BOOK VERSION OF THE FIRST KISS. LET ME KNOW! AIMING TO GET THE AUDIO VERSION READ BY YOURS TRULY IN THE FIRST QUARTER OF 2019.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Tools and resources that you can use.
Every month, I'd provide you with five tools/resources that I've used and found it to be helpful in my learning process, productivity, or just plain useful.
This month, I confess to binge-watching several Ted talks. Here's a handful that blew me away:
1. My journey to thank all the people responsible for my morning coffee by A J Jacobs
More than 15 years ago, I met a brilliant Australian CBT trainer by the name of Ross Menzies. He was telling me about his mini project of figuring out the number of people involved to make a single cup of coffee.
In this ted talk, write A. J. Jacobs takes us on a journey of people we can truly thank for this lovely wake-me-up beverage.
2. Science Can Answer Moral Questions by Sam Harris
Neuro-scientist, philosopher, podcaster Sam Harris is not a person foreign to provocative ideas. To be honest, I was left challenged and disturbed by his perspective, which could be misconstrued as moral superiority.
I love to hear your reactions to this particular ted talk.
3. How to Let Go of Being a "Good" Person by Dolly Chugh
Social Psychologist Dolly Chugh argues on the notion that our attachment of being a good person. Is hindering us from becoming a better person.
Reminds me of how our performance anxiety as therapists can hinder our ability to learn from (See My System of Practice talk at this section)
4. How tech companies deceive you into giving up your data and privacy
Norwegian information security research Finn Lützow-Holm Myrstad provides two chilling examples of how a kid's doll and a data app violates our basic rights to privacy. The ubiquity and function of technology have been a growing concern to me (especially social media platforms). As therapists, I don't think we can turn a blind eye to this, given how it is affecting practitioners and our clients. Couple this ted talk with another by Zeynep Tufekci. "We're building a dystopia just to make people click on ads." Tufekci points out that we are really living in internet silos, each of us watching and reading stuff that reinforces our existing beliefs. To me, this is highly problematic not just on a political front, but also for us as a society and wellbeing.
5. The Moral Roots of Liberals and Conservatives
I'm a big fan of Jonathan Haidt. I was first recommended his book The Righteous Mind by Scott Miller.
I love this quote that he cited from Gary Marcus (2004) on "the first draft" of the moral mind:
"The initial organisation of the brain does not rely that much on experience... Nature provides a FIRST DRAFT, which experiences then revises. 'Built-in does not mean inmalleable; it means organised in advance of experience."
I'm thinking of compiling lists of Top 10 books on various topics. If this is something that interests you, let me know. I've become some sort of a librarian!
On the Research Front
Many of you took part in the Difficult Conversations in Therapy (DCT) clinical trial many months ago. We sincerely thank you for being part of this illuminating study.
My colleagues, Sharon Lu, Geoffrey Tan, Tammie Quek and Scott Miller (with a possible new addition from Texas, Adam Jones) are in the midst of crunching the numbers. We are also hoping to complete giving you your performance feedback, if you have yet to receive them.
Thanks so much for your patience. The initial results are promising. (see this clip), and we hope to bring this to you as a training resource in the near future.
Til then, please stay in touch. Love to hear back from you, if you have any questions or comments.
Reach me at info@darylchow.com
p/s: Please excuse the typos.
Blessings,
Daryl
Daryl Chow, MA. Ph.D. (Psych)
Senior Associate & Trainer, International Center for Clinical Excellence (ICCE);
Endorsed Counselling Psychologist & Board Approved Supervisor (Aus),
Henry Street Centre, Fremantle, W Australia.
Senior Psychologist (on locum),
Institute of Mental Health, Singapore.
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