Clinician's Quandary

Do your therapy clients ask you for advice? We asked 5 top therapists what they do when clients say, “Just tell me what to do!” Read more

If you’ve done couples therapy, you’ve probably run into this conundrum at one point or another: one partner simply isn’t as invested in therapy as the... Read more

Even the best therapists rely on advice from peers. In the spirit of building community, we're introducing Clinician's Quandary, a new forum where you can... Read more

"One of my clients takes prescription medication for anxiety and often complains about the negative side effects. I can’t help but feel it’s getting in the... Read more

Sure, your clients may find therapy helpful. But do they find it memorable? How can we get clients to retain all the wonderful information they learn in... Read more

If you have to cancel an appointment and your client asks you why, how much should you disclose? Here, four clinicians share how they'd respond. Read more

Whether it's vanity, a failure to take constructive criticism, mistreating family and friends, or lacking empathy for others, clients with narcissistic traits... Read more

When clients cry in therapy, should you pass the tissues? And what do you say? One clinician worries his clients might interpret passing tissues as him rushing... Read more

Five things every therapist needs to know about working with older clients. Read more

Therapy can be serious, but that doesn’t mean that there isn’t room for a joke here and there. Here, clinicians share how they used humor to help clients... Read more

Our last Clinician’s Quandary on helping clients—and ourselves—navigate grief work received an overwhelming number of responses. So many, in fact, that... Read more

Andrew has started showing symptoms of OCD. He’s struggled with anxiety for a while, but the pandemic seems to have been a tipping point for him. His... Read more

Many grief specialists talk about helping clients finding meaning after loss. But often, loss feels meaningless. One therapist working with grieving clients... Read more

A therapist feels her sessions are getting a little dry and is looking for a way to bring play and humor into the work. Five therapists share how they do it in... Read more

A client has a lot of regret about past decisions he’s made, and although his therapist has talked with him about them at length, the client still can't seem... Read more

A client who’s been estranged from his mother for 15 years recently told his therapist he wants to reconnect with her. The therapist isn't sure how to... Read more

When a therapist begins to sense that her in-session note taking may be distracting her clients and impeding their work together, she begins to wonder whether... Read more

A graduate student has to pick a focus to train on, but is unsure of which to choose. Here, clinicians offer advice. Read more

After being insulted by a difficult client, this therapist doesn't know how to proceed. Here, seven clinicians weigh in. Read more

An older therapist is beginning to feel insecure about their age and is considering whether to dive into new trainings or retire. Five clinicians offer advice. Read more

A couples therapist is going through an emotionally wrenching separation from their partner and finding it hard to treat clients. Five clinicians offer advice. Read more

A therapist has been working with a client for eight years but fears that their progress has stalled. Five therapists weigh in on how to proceed. Read more

Five clinicians offer practical guidance for working with clients expressing misinformed views rooted in conspiracy theories. Read more

What are some strategies to help clients maintain hope when they don't meet their expectations for themselves? Five clinicians offer advice. Read more

What practical guidance can you offer a therapist whose personal grief is so deep that she's finding it hard to stay present for clients? Six clinicians weigh... Read more

A therapist is ready for a new challenge, a new context in which to put their clinical skills to work. Here, five clinicians offer practical guidance on... Read more

A therapist has been working with a parent on implementing a kinder, gentler style of interaction with her boisterous kids, but the coronavirus is creating so... Read more

Week after week, a client’s sessions focus on her issues with her partner. Her therapist thinks couples therapy would be tremendously helpful, but the... Read more

As parts of the country start to open back up from COVID-19 lockdown measures, a therapist worries about the risk of seeing clients in person again. Five... Read more

Teletherapy allows therapists to notice their clients' subtle expressions, movements, and gestures. But some clients prefer phone sessions, which can make... Read more