Therapist Integrity: How to Hold Space and Hope for Therapy Clients

December 20, 2016 Ili Rivera Walter, PhD, LMFT

Therapist-Intergrity-How-to-hold-space-and-hope-for-therapy-clients

You are a holder of hope.

It is hope--your hope and your clients’ hope--that makes therapy a special place. Therapy is and must be a place that is atypical for the client. It must represent a change from their everyday interactions and conversations. This is what makes the therapy room a sacred place.

Why does it matter that we believe in our clients’ possibilities, as well as the possibilities of therapy? Well, research shows that therapist factors and client expectancy have a significant impact on therapy outcomes (Sprenkle & Blow, 2004).

How I Established an Online Presence Before I Went Online: 10 Steps

December 13, 2016 Ili Rivera Walter, PhD, LMFT

How I Established an Online Presence Before I went Online: For Therapists

This week's post is a personal one. As the year wraps up, I want to let you in on what I've done this year, and how I've done it, in the hopes that my online story will be helpful to you as you create your work, figure out your next professional steps, and develop a vision for the coming year. Today, I am letting you know 10 steps I took to establish an online presence before I hit "publish" on my website.

7 Free Mindfulness and Mood Apps to Use with Therapy Clients

December 6, 2016 Ili Rivera Walter, PhD, LMFT

7 Free Mindfulness and Mood Apps for Therapy

Anything that can support therapy clients and help them deepen their therapy process is a boon to both clients and their therapists. These days, with companies offering therapy on the go, clients come to therapy with expectations for quick returns on investment. While most of these expectations can be curbed by therapists facilitating a thorough orientation to therapy that includes addressing therapy myths, offering clients ways that they can focus daily on their therapy work and visually see results can mean the difference between a long-term customer and a one-session client.

In today’s post, I present seven therapy apps that can reinforce what clients are learning in therapy and improve their sense of treatment consistency and progress.

Family of Origin Exploration for the Therapist: How to Create Your Genogram

November 29, 2016 Ili Rivera Walter, PhD, LMFT

Family of Origin Exploration for the Therapist-Create Your Genogram

In article three of the Family of Origin for the Therapist series, you learned 3 simple steps for how to begin family of origin (FOO) exploration: 1) read Bowen’s chapter, 2) observe your FOO experience, and 3) reflect on what you learned. Hopefully, your curiosity has led to significant understanding.

Understanding is the foundation of Bowen Family Systems Theory (BFST). Bowen (1985) believed that if clients could understand themselves as members of their FOOs and as created by their histories, they could begin and continue significant change.

In today’s post, I offer the next step in developing understanding: Creating your genogram. I explain how to create a basic genogram that you can expand as you continue your exploration.