Getting Started as a Therapist

Anthony D. Smith is a licensed mental health counselor, certified juvenile court clinician, professor, clinical supervisor, and trainer with more than 20 years of experience. He maintains "Up & Running," a popular Psychology Today blog for new therapists.

SECTION I: Setting the Stage 1 It’s Not Like on TV; 2 Be Yourself; 3 Therapy isn’t a Race; 4 Don’t Forget the Basics; 5 Forget About Being So Formal; 6 Mastering Your Therapeutic Presence; 7 Body Language Basics; 8 How to Polish Your Summarizing; 9 Find Value in Silence; 10 Strive to Cultivate Substance in Each Session; 11 Ask About Meaning; 12 Be Attentive to Your Intuition; 13 Don’t Rely on Psychological Archaeology; SECTION II: Things Therapists Shouldn’t Say 14 The Big Three; 15 Beware of the "Suck‑It‑Up" Trap; 16 What Not to Say to Anxious Patients; 17 What Not to Say to Depressed Patients; 18 What Not to Say to People Who Hear Voices; SECTION III: Demystifying Diagnosis 19 Ignore Popular Culture Portrayals of Mental Illnesses; 20 In Defense of Diagnosis (Part 1); 21 In Defense of Diagnosis (Part 2); 22 Post‑Diagnosis Considerations; 23 Never Diagnose Based on One Chief Symptom; 24 Re‑Evaluate Historical Diagnoses; 25 Five Quick Tips for More Thorough Assessments; 26 Always Consider Medical Mimicry; 27 How to Evaluate for Medical Mimicry; 28 How to Discuss Diagnoses with Patients; SECTION IV: Special Topics 29 Interview, Don’t Interrogate; 30 Try Not to be Alarmist; 31 Be Familiar with the Defenses; 32 Approach Trauma Lightly; 33 Learn About Self‑Injury; 34 Exploring Therapist Self‑Disclosure; 35 There’s No Need to Rescue; 36 Why Therapists Must Be Salespeople; 37 Learn to Reframe; 38 Getting Friendly with Metaphors; 39 What if Someone Implies, "You’d Never Understand"?; 40 Pay Attention to the Role of Culture; 41 Talk About Medications; 42 Personality Disorders Are Important; 43 Ask for Feedback; SECTION V: Professional Development 44 Consider an Integrative Approach; 45 Limiting Liability; 46 Clinical Supervision Is Vital for Therapist Growth; 47 Take Continuing Education Seriously; 48 Have Clinical Heroes; 49 Improve Your Clinical Skills After Hours; 50 Do Therapists Need Therapy?; 51 Protecting Your Own Mental Health; 52 You Can’t Save Them All