Counseling & Psychological Services

In training therapists, a primary concern of mine is to help them develop a coherent clinical framework and to facilitate their understanding of their clients and themselves. I work differently with different supervisees, based on their stage of clinical development and specific needs. However, if I were to characterize my typical approach, I’d describe it as follows. I use my experience to sensitize the trainee to aspects of the client that require exploration and/or observation, and use the trainee’s interpersonal experience (i.e., being with the client) to further our understanding of the client’s psychology. As our understanding crystallizes and solidifies, we lay together the foundations for strategic intervention, aiming at the objectives set forth (and collaboratively with the client). Here is where we adapt our approach to the trainee’s learning goals and choose a specific modality of intervention. Subsequently, we assess how the intervention was received by the client and proceed accordingly. Throughout the process, I stress attunement and being-with-the-client over technique. My philosophy, rooted in experience, is that: When the therapist gets the client, the client gets the intervention.