January 2021 Clinical Supervision Topic: Deliberate Practice + Review
Hi All!
Normally we’d be looking at goal consensus as we begin the year, but we’re shaking it up a bit. You know why? Because we mental health professionals are a super wild group. That’s why.
Before looking at each of the common factors, I want you to really understand deliberate practice. I first learned about it from Supershrinks: What’s the Secret of Their Success? , a must-read introduced to me by one of my mentors, Susie Snyder. In the article, I learned what makes a good clinician/social worker/therapist. It’s not those with the most experience, education or confidence. It is their engagement in deliberate practice.
Deliberate practice is essentially:
Practice Activity
Reflect on what works and doesn’t work
Receive constructive feedback
Practice Activity
On repeat. Forever.
The focus is on practice not performance.
Have you become great at a specific skill? Perhaps it’s putting on your socks and shoes, or making Cuban cigars (as suggested in the video below). Think about the process you followed in order to master it.
{{sidenote: i was surprised how similar the description at 5:20 was to our work!!}}
In preparation for our work together this month…
I’d like you to reflect on two types of interactions: one you’ve had with a client who experienced significant transformation with you, and one you’ve had with a client in which either you or they feel “stuck”. Then answer the following:
What is going well? Is it the greeting, the smiles exchanged, humor used, discussion of goals, emotional attunement, etc.? Envision a typical interaction or session from start to finish and break it down segment-by-segment. Make a list of what is working.
What is not going well? Do the same process as above. Maybe it’s the silences and your anxiety increases. Perhaps it’s your reflections which the client keeps rejecting. Maybe it’s them sharing, and you feeling a lack of purposefulness in the conversation. Whatever it is, go through a typical interaction, break it down and make a list of what is not working.
Please bring these lists to our sessions and we’ll discuss!
