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When you are looking for your third, fourth or more therapist….

Gary Direnfeld

Sometimes I am the third or fourth therapist. I ask who between them didn’t like the previous therapists. The other is continuing to therapist shop, hoping to find one that can finabreak through to their partner not taking responsibility. I would often decline such requests for couple counseling.

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Three Questions to Improve Your Counseling Practice

Gary Direnfeld

To my social work and therapist colleagues: Typically after my first meeting with people I serve, I would ask three questions: 1) What are your takeaways from our meeting? These three questions provide the service provider an opportunity to learn about their impact and affect in the counseling process.

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Couple Counseling? Maybe in time….

Gary Direnfeld

I recently declined two requests for couple counseling. Couple counseling can be an intense setting where issues are laid bare. Interestingly, in both cases the callers were prepared to continue with couple counseling despite their disclosures of untoward behavior. This is where the therapist must make a decision.

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Three-Hour Sessions? Sure!

Gary Direnfeld

I asked how many therapists they saw before me. You can be remarkably responsive to people’s needs and earn a good income as a therapist. She said, “Three. Each only once.” ” She added that each one kept looking at their clock from about 30 minutes in. So many of my colleagues just don’t get this.

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Trauma-informed Care Creates a Path Forward

Shelter, Inc

Sylvie Colon, a Clinical Therapist at Shelter, works with young people who have faced extremely difficult situations. “I To address this challenge, Shelter is rolling out a new program to provide mental health counseling services at local schools throughout Chicagoland. Feeling safe is the foundation of trauma recovery.

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Helping Your Child Between Separated Parents Starts with the Parents

Gary Direnfeld

I have mentioned many times to be cautious about seeking counseling for a child whose parents are separated and where one puts the child in the middle and says inappropriate things about the other parent. Placing that child in counseling may make matters worse. Counseling? You first in these situations.

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Realizing One’s Partner is a Narcissist

Gary Direnfeld

She eventually met with a therapist for herself. The therapist listened but offered little guidance. Gary Direnfeld, MSW, RSW gary@yoursocialworker.com www.yoursocialworker.com for counseling and support www.garydirenfeld.com – to build your successful practice Gary Direnfeld is a social worker. She felt duped, trapped, scared.

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