Bonus: Clinical Licensing Exams Don't Work (with Dr. Ben Caldwell)
Release Date: 11/14/2022
147. Termination Session
Very Bad Therapy
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146. Patreon Selects: Carrie-Ben Therapy (aka CBT 2.0)
Very Bad Therapy
Carrie and Ben create their own model of therapy. Goal setting! Psychoeducation! Exploitation and worrisome sales tactics! What does it say about psychotherapy when our progressively cynical efforts to develop a modality end up mirroring some of the norms in our field? This episode is evidence-based and supported by neuroscience. Thank you for listening. To support the show and receive access to regular bonus episodes, check out the . Introduction: 0:00 – 5:13 Part One: 5:13 – 1:08:54 Part Two: 1:08:54 – 1:11:44 Very Bad Therapy: / / / Show...
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145. Patreon Selects: Book Review - All Therapy Books
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All therapy books have an oddly similar message: *This* form of therapy is the one that truly matters, and *this* science/philosophy/whatever is the key to understanding how human psychology actually works. These narratives can’t all be true, so are they all simply bullshit instead? We read through Scott Alexander’s legendary blog post, Book Review: All Therapy Books, and discuss whether therapy gurus really believe the answers they are selling. Thank you for listening. To support the show and receive access to regular bonus episodes, check out the . Introduction: 0:00...
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143. Patreon Selects: Fun With the Psychology Today Profile Generator
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Life can be hard at times. Do you want to feel more visible and important in your relationships? Are you curious about why every Psychology Today profile looks the same? We get silly with the incredible Therapist Generator and learn all about treating sunroof addition with truckload therapy and registered turtleneck therapy. The therapist profiles are fake, but our desire to meet you where you are on your journey is very real. Thank you for listening. To support the show and receive access to regular bonus episodes, check out the . Today’s episode is sponsored by –...
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142. VBT Study Hall: Client Testimonials and Reviews
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Social proof has become a crucial element of consumer decision making in the Internet era. So why don’t the vast majority of therapists ask their clients to give testimonials or leave reviews? We ponder the frustrating tension between psychotherapy ethics codes and literature on marketing in the 21st century, and we do our best to advise therapists about what to do in response to a bad online review. Thank you for listening. To support the show and receive access to regular bonus episodes, check out the . Today’s episode is sponsored by – high-quality, low-fee online therapy in...
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141. “Not All Christians…” (with Josh Foster, LCPC)
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What is religious trauma, and why do some therapists refuse to work with clients who use that language? In today’s episode, Jeremy speaks about his experiences with therapists who felt the need to defend their faith in session, and we are joined by Josh Foster, LCPC to discuss the complicated intersection between evangelical Christianity and ethical psychotherapy. Thank you for listening. To support the show and receive access to regular bonus episodes, check out the . Today’s episode is sponsored by – training, advocacy, books, and additional resources for counselors and...
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140. VBT Study Hall: What Does “Trauma-Informed” Mean?
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Trauma-informed therapy is…what, exactly? And is trauma actually stored in the body, or is that just a clever narrative that a few enterprising gurus have used to sell books and trainings? We dig deep into the research on trauma to answer these questions and more, and Carrie introduces her breakthrough trauma-focused treatment: dog therapy. Thank you for listening. To support the show and receive access to regular bonus episodes, check out the . Today’s episode is sponsored by – high-quality, low-fee online therapy in California with immediate availability for new clients. ...
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139. Politics in the Therapy Room (with Dr. Ben Caldwell)
Very Bad Therapy
Let’s get controversial! Is it a good idea for a therapist to project their own political views onto a client? For today’s guest Ruth, the answer is a resounding “no.” We hear her story of a therapist who took her political advocacy too far, and Dr. Ben Caldwell rejoins us to explore the ethics of discussing politics in therapy. Plus, how can therapists know if they are trauma-informed enough for their clients? Thank you for listening. To support the show and receive access to regular bonus episodes, check out the . Today’s episode is sponsored by . Introduction:...
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138. Patreon Selects: Is EMDR a Cultish Pyramid Scheme?
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No, EMDR is not a cultish pyramid scheme. With that out of the way, why is EMDR training so expensive when its theoretical foundations are supported by dubious (at best) research? In this clickbaity-titled episode, Angela Nauss, EMDRIA-certified LMFT, joins us to describe the experience of paying thousands of dollars to “watch the dumpster fire from inside the dumpster.” Please direct all angry emails to [email protected]. Thank you for listening. To support the show and receive access to regular bonus episodes, check out the . Today’s episode is sponsored by –...
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137. VBT Study Hall: Evaluating Research
Very Bad Therapy
How do we know which psychotherapy research is trustworthy? Dr. Alex Williams and Dr. John Sakaluk help us search for evidence in all the logical places: the replication crisis, RCTs, qualitative studies, dolphin therapy, Canadian football, researchers fighting Connor McGregor, and of course, EMDR. This episode is brought to you by MR. BEAR (Meta-analysis, Registered, Big sample size, Experiment, Active control group, Replicated). Thank you for listening. To support the show and receive access to regular bonus episodes, check out the . Today’s episode is sponsored by –...
info_outlineIn the United States, mental health professionals must pass a clinical exam to become licensed in their field. These exams appear to do nothing to make psychotherapy more effective or safe. They are, however, very efficient at furthering structural racism. Dr. Ben Caldwell joins us to make a very compelling, research-based argument for why these clinical exams should be abolished immediately.
Thank you for listening. To support the show and receive access to regular bonus episodes, check out the Very Bad Therapy Patreon community. Today’s episode is sponsored by Sentio Counseling Center – high-quality, low-fee online therapy in California with immediate availability for new clients.
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Show Notes:
- Clinical Licensing Exams in Mental Health Care (White Paper)
- Report: Clinical exams in mental health licensing are structural racism
- 2022 ASWB Exam Pass Rate Analysis
- org – ASWB: End Discriminatory Social Work Licensing Exams
- California BBS discussion of the ASWB report
- Racial Bias and ASWB Exams: A Failure of Data Equity
- Ben Caldwell: Email / Ben Caldwell Labs / Psychotherapy Notes