This sections contains all our blog posts combined.
- I’m Signing Off*I actually wrote this all the way back in September, but I’m only getting the chance to post it today* You may have noticed me being quiet of late. You see, I’ve had a seismic shift in my priorities and I couldn’t be happier about it. My wife is having a baby! (our first one).… Read more: I’m Signing Off
- We don’t need to emulate what an athlete does, only how they think.Some announcements before we begin Please note: There’s a very quick survey at the end of this piece, where I ask your opinion on what you have read here today via a question. It will only take a couple of seconds before you go. I would be very grateful if you have time to provide… Read more: We don’t need to emulate what an athlete does, only how they think.
- Thanks to Barry Duncan, I almost found a reason against Deliberate Practice *almost*In this post I am going to attempt to start a war that no one has asked me to start, but I think it’s one we need to have. I have had an interesting desire that has intensified over the last few months. To the point now that I’m metaphorically chomping at the bit. It’s… Read more: Thanks to Barry Duncan, I almost found a reason against Deliberate Practice *almost*
- Yes we attend to the therapeutic relationship well, but it could be even betterI recently put up a survey in a Facebook group full of Australian Psychologists. The survey asked: The options ranged from 0 to 5+ types of therapy. There were 112 respondents in total. By far, the number of interventions that the therapist respondents said we need was 3 – with 69 votes at 61%. Second… Read more: Yes we attend to the therapeutic relationship well, but it could be even better
- Ask Jimmy – Why is less more and what does that look like in therapy?This submission is a follow up on the previous ‘ask Jimmy’ post, which can be found here. This exchange was from April this year. There were a few follow ups after this as well, I’ll post those in the coming months as well. Click here if you would like to submit your own question to… Read more: Ask Jimmy – Why is less more and what does that look like in therapy?
- My comfort is just as important as my clientsTowards the end of last year I was watching a segment on tv about the now retired Indian cricketer, Sachin Tandulkar. Sachin is probably India’s most successful ever batsman. He’s the cricketing equivalent of Roger Federer or Cristiano Ronaldo – at least in terms of impact on the sport. I promise, I won’t bore you… Read more: My comfort is just as important as my clients
- The opposite of ableism is still ableismI just want to say before I start, I appreciate what I am about to write is on a sensitive and potentially controversial topic. I welcome any disagreement or discourse, so long as it is respectful. So please feel free to return serve, if you like. A crucial component of ableism, one that doesn’t get… Read more: The opposite of ableism is still ableism
- I’m an info dumper (and now I’m proud of it)This is a tale of acceptance. Acceptance of myself. Just when I thought I couldn’t accept myself any more deeply, I discover something that takes it to a whole new level. I have a lot of questions when it comes to neurodivergence, not just for me, but as a concept generally. While we may not… Read more: I’m an info dumper (and now I’m proud of it)
- CounterbalancingI’m sure we all know by now that Deliberate Practice, especially when applying it to your foundational skills, isn’t easy. Whether it’s finding the capacity to do it, figuring out what to focus on or learning how to do it effectively. Some of these challenges I have been able to resolve over time, but there… Read more: Counterbalancing
- An open invitation: I want your insights and feedbackI’m going to take a break from the quick missive posts for this week. Instead I would love your insights or feedback (if you have any) on my Deliberate Practice journey and this blog. Especially, in regards to what I have written across my posts or the ideas I have shared. I’m very interested in… Read more: An open invitation: I want your insights and feedback
- When a client isn’t progressingIt may sound obvious, but it’s important to look inwards when you feel stuck with a client. Not only to understand your own reactions, but to consider if there’s something you’re not listening to. If you want to stay in the loop for future posts, then please feel free to sign up for our mailing… Read more: When a client isn’t progressing
- No coach – no problemUntil there are more coaches in Deliberate Practice for therapists that become more widely available, it’s ok to do your best on your own. There are always other supports you can lean on. If you want to stay in the loop for future posts, then please feel free to sign up for our mailing list:
- Client factors – up to 87% of the outcome in therapyIt’s funny how easy it is to open an unexcepted can of worms. I’m almost surprised, but its happened so many times. It’s not uncommon that when I start to work on something new, I expect that the upcoming journey will be relatively simple. As times goes on the worms just keep coming and coming.… Read more: Client factors – up to 87% of the outcome in therapy
- The do or do not fallacyWhen we can expect ourselves to just do, we can scare ourselves from even trying – potentially missing a way that works better. If you want to stay in the loop for future posts, then please feel free to sign up for our mailing list:
- A problem for foundational skillsUntil we get more people consistently training at their foundational skills as a therapist, workshops specifically in these areas will be difficult to come by. If you want to stay in the loop for future posts, then please feel free to sign up for our mailing list:
- Ask Jimmy – The struggle of balancing usefulness with patienceHere we are – it’s the first submission to ‘Ask Jimmy’! Please welcome Mr X! (yes I chose a Simpsons reference). Please also thank them for having the courage to do this and to be the first one. They were actually part of the inspiration of these post series. It just goes to show that… Read more: Ask Jimmy – The struggle of balancing usefulness with patience
- The costs of expertiseLike anything, gaining expertise in therapy can carry unintended costs if left unchecked. If you want to stay in the loop for future posts, then please feel free to sign up for our mailing list:
- When I let clients stray from their outcome goalPlease note: This post refers to a recent conversation with a client, I have been given permission from that client to share the conversation here. Also quick update: I’ve just found out I’ve hit the subscriber limit on word-press, I’d need to pay for a more expensive account type to allow for more subscribers –… Read more: When I let clients stray from their outcome goal
- Therapy sessions are not practiceTherapy sessions are missing key ingredients needed to be considered ‘practice’. If you want to stay in the loop for future posts, then please feel free to sign up for our mailing list:
- Outcome rating measuresThere’s no right or wrong when it comes to what kind of outcome measure you decide to use with clients. What matters most is what works for you and your clients. If you want to stay in the loop for future posts, then please feel free to sign up for our mailing list:
- If science is nothing but trying – how much should we try?Before I begin – some short updates Update 1: In case you missed this, I have started a new set of posts called quick missives. They are intended to be quick tips or reflections on Deliberate Practice. I made the decision to create these because I have many blog post ideas and concepts that feel… Read more: If science is nothing but trying – how much should we try?
- A common misstepI’m starting another series of posts – called ‘Quick Missives’. Each will be a simple and short tip or reflection about engaging in Deliberate Practice as a therapist. I hope you enjoy them. As always, please feel more than welcome to share your own insights or ask any questions. We also have just started up… Read more: A common misstep
- Letting the paint dryBoy, has it been a big three years for me in this journey. At the beginning I was still only one year into being a registered Psychologist. I was still trying to find my identity beyond the CBT I was trained in. I was desperate to discover the kind of therapist I wanted to be.… Read more: Letting the paint dry
- An analysis: My outcome stats for 2023 compared to previous yearsWelcome to the analysis of my outcome statistics. This may be something you have never seen done before, at least in this much detail. I’m not going to go into a big intro on this one, because it was a monster effort just putting this together. With that being said, I am no expert when… Read more: An analysis: My outcome stats for 2023 compared to previous years
- I Finally Have A Visual For My Deliberate Practice EcosystemI believe strongly that in order to demonstrate what Deliberate Practice looks like and how it helps, it’s only fair for me to share my Deliberate Practice process. I know that you won’t be as willing to try Deliberate Practice for yourself if you don’t know what it looks like. Sure, I have been sharing… Read more: I Finally Have A Visual For My Deliberate Practice Ecosystem
- In order to listen better, we have to get it wrongIf you didn’t catch my last post… which was yesterday, I’ve had a recent tectonic shift of a realisation – my three years of Deliberate Practice have boiled down to one thing… just listen better. I kept cracking the atom of how I could become a more effective therapist. First getting feedback from clients, then… Read more: In order to listen better, we have to get it wrong
- Are any of us master listeners?Spoiler alert: I dont believe many therapists are master listeners (if any). It might sound harsh, but DP has taught me that there is no such thing as natural talent or mastery. All masters had to earn it, through very hard work and strong support systems, none of them were born with it. Mastery is… Read more: Are any of us master listeners?
- Go where a client wants to go, to open them up to where they need to goAll through this year I have tried to be guided by a central principle – aligning myself with what my client wants. Being on the same page for who they want to become as a person (outcome goals), how they want to get there (process goals) while re-acting effectively to their feedback. I have spent… Read more: Go where a client wants to go, to open them up to where they need to go
- DP TIP #8: Always lean on your support system and your valuesThis tip could easily be number one, at least in terms of importance, because I guarantee Deliberate Practice will not work if you try to do it on your own. Sure, you might be able to do it without a coach (though I think you’ll much be better off if you have one), but you’ll… Read more: DP TIP #8: Always lean on your support system and your values
- DP TIP #7: Understand how your fight vs flight brain impacts your workThere’s something that I was told repeatedly in my training to become a Psychologist. It was a line I heard time and time again. I know I’m not the only one that heard it… “When you’re with a client, don’t bring your stuff into the room.” Meaning don’t bring in things like your biases, negative… Read more: DP TIP #7: Understand how your fight vs flight brain impacts your work
- Keeping on the same page with Daryl ChowI’ve done something a little different this time. Instead of making a post for each coaching session I had with Daryl, I opted to wait until we had a few catch ups before writing about how coaching was going. These days I spend longer focusing on the one growth edge, even months at a time.… Read more: Keeping on the same page with Daryl Chow
- DP TIP #6: Identify a desired behaviour to replace your chosen automatic behaviourCongratulations if you have by now identified an automatic behaviour you want to tackle. We’re not done yet though, there’s only half the equation in place. We will still need to identify a desired behaviour to replace the automatic behaviour. The concept of a desired behaviour is fairly simple. It’s a behaviour that you would… Read more: DP TIP #6: Identify a desired behaviour to replace your chosen automatic behaviour
- DP TIP #5: Address your most impactful automatic behaviourNow we’re onto the next phase of addressing automatic behaviours. In this entry, I’ll present you with some ideas on what to do if you have your list of automatic behaviours as a therapist, but feel stuck on where to go next. The next step is fairly simple, once we have a list of automatic… Read more: DP TIP #5: Address your most impactful automatic behaviour
- DP TIP #4: Identify your automatic behavioursBefore I start, here is what I have written so far of my top 10 tips for Deliberate Practice in therapy: I didn’t just want to jump in to this one. I believe this is one of those tips that needs some prior context first. If you didn’t catch my previous post, I highly recommend… Read more: DP TIP #4: Identify your automatic behaviours
- Automatic thinking is stopping you from being a better therapist.A couple months ago I decided to clear up why I see deliberate practice as being so important in helping us improve as therapists. The main reason is because deliberate practice addresses cognitive biases in ways a that other forms of development do not. There are two forms of cognitive bias that can have a… Read more: Automatic thinking is stopping you from being a better therapist.
- Therapy is not a game of truth.The medical model assumes that we as therapists are the experts. Meaning that we know best in understanding and explaining what is happening to a client. Therefore only we can name those challenges by giving a correct diagnosis – a client needs us if they want to find the ‘right’ way of getting better. We… Read more: Therapy is not a game of truth.
- Is keeping it simple the key to becoming a more effective therapist?As human beings, we never seem satisfied with simplicity. It’s one of those stories that’s as old as time. We start off with a simple idea, simple ingredients or a simple procedure, but eventually for any number of reasons we decide that the simple place we started on, isn’t enough. We need to add more.… Read more: Is keeping it simple the key to becoming a more effective therapist?
- What does it really mean to be ‘client led’?I wasn’t planning on posting today. I had been taking a break after a hectic few weeks and I figured I would post again once my battery had sufficiently recharged. Turns out that time must be now. Inspiration can strike at an unexpected time. I’ve been thinking a lot lately about being client led. I… Read more: What does it really mean to be ‘client led’?
- DP TIP #3: Use Routine Outcome MeasurementWhen a client comes to see me, they say all they want is to get rid of their symptoms; their overwhelming stress, debilitating anxiety or pit of depression. They have tried everything to shake off what has become the ultimate tormentor in their life. Given all their power to problem solve and will these unwanted… Read more: DP TIP #3: Use Routine Outcome Measurement
- If you want to be a Supershrink it’s going to hurt. A lot.Welcome once again readers. We have a very special guest post in store this time around. My friends from the USA, Jordan Harris, will be sharing his wisdom on what it takes to become a super-shrink. If you haven’t heard me mention Jordan before in my previous posts, then I highly recommend checking out his… Read more: If you want to be a Supershrink it’s going to hurt. A lot.
- DP TIP #2: Tailor your goal-setting approach to suit each individual clientGoal alignment is the health bar of therapy. Winnie-the-Pooh *shifty eyes* Before I start, here is what I have written so far of my top 10 tips for Deliberate Practice in therapy: I’m going to start with a potentially controversial belief. I’ve come to believe that goal alignment is more important than therapeutic connection with… Read more: DP TIP #2: Tailor your goal-setting approach to suit each individual client
- DP Tip #1 – Get Feedback From Your ClientsHello everyone. I’m back again and ready to get my posts started for 2023. To begin the year, my posts will focus on my top 10 tips for engaging in Deliberate Practice (DP) as a therapist. The tips won’t be a prescription of DP; you will still need to do the work to individualise DP… Read more: DP Tip #1 – Get Feedback From Your Clients
- Exploration Before ExplanationWell, here we are everyone. Another year done. And for me another year of Deliberate Practice in the books. I started to write a post about 3 weeks ago on how I have delved into an idea called ‘client chosen ideographic outcome measures’, but I’ve put that on pause. I want to wind down for… Read more: Exploration Before Explanation
- Improving Therapy Outcomes: A Case for Deliberate PracticeIn my previous post, I wrote about my history with imposter syndrome as a therapist—convinced that I wasn’t really a good therapist until I was confident. To resolve this self-doubt, I turned to expanding my knowledge in different ways of doing therapy. I did things almost all therapists do to learn more. I met with… Read more: Improving Therapy Outcomes: A Case for Deliberate Practice
- The Answers Are in Our Weak SpotsThroughout my entire career as a therapist, I have battled with imposter syndrome. The idea that I am not good at what I do, that I am simply “acting” as a therapist. A fear that eventually I would get called out for my inadequacy and told that this therapist gig isn’t for me. Because of… Read more: The Answers Are in Our Weak Spots
- Finding the Scientist within the PsychologistSometimes we can forget that we are not just Psychologists – we are also scientists. I have seen psychologists hold off from trying their own new ideas in therapy, because their idea is not part of the established tried and true – which is a hallmark of that natural human desire to stay in safety.… Read more: Finding the Scientist within the Psychologist
- Don’t be afraid to give client’s the steering wheelIn this post I’m going to talk about some reflections I’ve had on giving client’s more control of their therapy. I’ll also share 3 scenarios on how I have changed my therapy approach to better align with my client’s needs and wants. Lately I’ve been compelled by a realisation that giving clients control of their… Read more: Don’t be afraid to give client’s the steering wheel
- Put me in the game, Coach!This post is going to be all about my reflections and ideas about how to get a DP system going without a coach. Yes I decided to switch it up, I’ll still write about the history of DP in therapy eventually, but it wasn’t tickling my passion bone for now. Before I start however, I… Read more: Put me in the game, Coach!
- What is the deal with Deliberate Practice anyway? ft one of my outcome statsBefore I begin I want to give a shout out to Jordan Harris, who is a counsellor in the United states. He’s big on Deliberate Practice (DP), so of course I already think he’s a cool cat. He’s a really nice guy, generous with his time and a clever duck who is clearly passionate about… Read more: What is the deal with Deliberate Practice anyway? ft one of my outcome stats
- Taking control of the spotlightI’m at the begin of a new transition. I’ve decided that my Deliberate Practice coaching session with Nathan Castle today will be my last, at least for the time being. I concluded that I want to spend more time to master unhooking from my ‘fix it mode’, as was the focus in my previous post.… Read more: Taking control of the spotlight
- Turning the cornerI have taken some time to reflect on my journey in tackling hesitation when it appears in my therapy room. I first thought back to how it all started – the lightbulb moment where I realised I respond to client’s feeling stuck by going into this over-reassuring fix it mode. I then reflected on my… Read more: Turning the corner
- Getting hookedPooh: What is love?Piglet: You don’t spell it. You feel it. Winnie-the-pooh Hello everyone – how are you? I am well. I’m here for another instalment of where I’m at in my deliberate practice (DP) journey. I’ve had a fairly encouraging sense of progress in my efforts to create more emotional engagement with clients. If… Read more: Getting hooked
- Tennis balls aren’t just for LabradorsWe did it! My wife and I finally managed to get married on the 25th of March. Third time lucky! It was an amazing day and finally I get to be marred to the woman I love. I’m sure some of you are thinking of getting us a wedding gift, my wife and I like… Read more: Tennis balls aren’t just for Labradors
- WillingnessYou can’t stay in your corner of the Forest waiting for others to come to you. You have to go to them sometimes. Winnie-the-pooh I want to start by sharing with you an “aha!” moment I had about a week ago. I’ve been doing Scott Miller and Daryl Chow’s online workshop in Deliberate Practice (DP). I… Read more: Willingness
- Accepting doubt inside the therapy room“He was telling an interesting anecdote full of exciting words like ‘encyclopedia’ and ‘rhododendron.’” Winnie-the-pooh It’s been a really busy time with my partner and I tackling the final stages of our wedding preparations – with our wedding in late march. Most of my spare time has focused on the wedding and life in general… Read more: Accepting doubt inside the therapy room
- Passing the ball back“Let’s Play Ball!” Tigger What I’ve managed to do since my last post Before starting this post I ran through my previous blog entries. It looks like the last four posts have focused on over-explaining (OE) and intellectualisation (Intel) in my therapy. I’ll then call this Part 5 of the series looking at OE and… Read more: Passing the ball back
- Aha!“Aha!” said Pooh, practising. “Aha! Aha!…Of course,” he went on, “we could say ‘Aha!’ even if we hadn’t stolen Baby Roo.” WINNIE-THE-POOH What I’ve realised over the last couple of weeks A client had an ‘aha!’ moment this week! In fact, three clients had an ‘aha!’ moment in our sessions. I am over the moon… Read more: Aha!
- Walking the learning zone tightrope“You can’t stay in your corner of the Forest waiting for others to come to you. You have to go to them sometimes.” WINNIE-THE-POOH What I’ve realised over the last couple of weeks My partner and I had a great time away over the Christmas break – I didn’t think about work much at all and… Read more: Walking the learning zone tightrope
- Flight into reason“Life is a journey to be experienced not a problem to be solved.” WINNIE-THE-POOH What I’ve realised over the last couple of weeks I don’t know about you, but Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) was the bedrock and focus of what I was taught at university in my training to become a Psychologist. I was taught that… Read more: Flight into reason
- That’ll do Pig, That’ll do.What I’ve realised over the last couple of weeks It’s funny – I’ve realised that when I’m working on something new to improve as a therapist, my initial attempts of improvement start out with a lot of structure and detail, then after experimenting and feedback from others (e.g. my partner, Nathan, colleagues or clients) my… Read more: That’ll do Pig, That’ll do.
- The Butterfly Effect: Therapy Edition“Sometimes the smallest things take the most room in your heart.” WINNIE-THE-POOH What I’ve realised over the last couple of weeks A few days ago I was listening to the book Tiny Habits by BJ Fogg and was struck by something he said when describing part of his process for helping clients form new habits.… Read more: The Butterfly Effect: Therapy Edition
- Overwatering the plant“I was just sitting here enjoying the company. Plants got a lot to say, if you take the time to listen” EEYORE What I’ve realised over the last couple of weeks I’ll start this post with the 4th coaching session I had with Nathan Castle last Friday. We started by figuring out that I was in two… Read more: Overwatering the plant
- Self-Doubt: Friend or Foe?““If it’s not Here, that means it’s out There.”” Winnie-the-Pooh What I’ve realised over the last couple of weeks It feels like it has been 3 months since I was last writing a post here; not 2 weeks, maybe because Sydney only left lockdown last week after approximately 45 years of stay-at-home orders. Perhaps it’s… Read more: Self-Doubt: Friend or Foe?
- DP Coaching is awesome. Do it. (Round 3)“Life is a journey to be experienced, not a problem to be solved.” Winnie-the-Pooh What I’ve realised over the last couple of weeks I’ve got another coaching session to reflect on for this post, this time it was my third coaching session with Nathan Castle. This session didn’t involve behavioural rehearsal, as I decided I… Read more: DP Coaching is awesome. Do it. (Round 3)
- Deliberate Rest“Don’t underestimate the value of doing nothing, of just going along, listening to all the things you can’t hear and not bothering” Winnie-the-Pooh What I’ve realised over the last couple of weeks I’m not quite sure how to start out this post, this last fortnight was a doozy, not because a crazy amount of things… Read more: Deliberate Rest
- Building expectations and hope for each other as therapists.“I must go forward where I have never been instead of backwards where I have.” Winnie-the-Pooh What I’ve realised over the last couple of weeks What if after everything you’ve read on deliberate practice, you’re on board, but you’re still bothered by the uncertainty of where to start or how to continue practicing it? That’s… Read more: Building expectations and hope for each other as therapists.
- It all comes down to what ‘works’“It is hard to be brave, when you’re only a very small animal.” Winnie-the-Pooh What I’ve realised over the last couple of weeks I’m feeling pretty damn proud of myself for the last fortnight. This is one of those times in Deliberate Practice where I have a sense of accomplishment on the back of my… Read more: It all comes down to what ‘works’
- DP Coaching is Awesome. Do it. (Round 2)“It’s so much more friendly with two.” Winnie-the-Pooh What I’ve realised over the last couple of weeks Deliberate Practice coaching is still awesome. I had the second session on July 30th and I enjoyed it more than I did the first time. The focus of the session centred around goal setting with clients, more specifically,… Read more: DP Coaching is Awesome. Do it. (Round 2)
- Don’t be afraid to fail. Be afraid not to try.“I must go forward where I have never been instead of backwards where I have.” Winnie-the-Pooh What I’ve realised over the last couple of weeks I’m back from leave and ready to keep on blogging. I had some good time away and enjoyed switching off, but now it’s time to get back into the swing… Read more: Don’t be afraid to fail. Be afraid not to try.
- Patience. Patience. Patience.“What’s wrong with knowing what you know now and not knowing what you don’t know until later?” Winnie-the-Pooh What I’ve realised over the last couple of weeks I think I’m starting to feel more patient about my DP process this time around. As a result this post may not be so heavy on realisations I’ve… Read more: Patience. Patience. Patience.
- Trading Confidence for Empowerment (with lots of anxiety in between)“Oh, Bother” Winnie-the-Pooh What I’ve realised over the last couple of weeks It’s been another couple busy of weeks in deliberate practice, or should I say, getting started in deliberate practice. I think I’m off to a good start, I’d say I’m not quite airborne yet, but I’m at the point of hovering off the… Read more: Trading Confidence for Empowerment (with lots of anxiety in between)
- DP coaching is awesome. Do it.“Rivers know this: There is no hurry. We shall get there some day.” Winnie-the-Pooh What I’ve realised over the last couple of weeks It has been a busy couple of weeks getting into the swing of DP. The biggest thing out of it all though is that I had my first DP coaching session with… Read more: DP coaching is awesome. Do it.
- Converting from performance to development“I am not lost, for I know where I am. But however, where I am may be lost.” Winnie-the-Pooh What the heck am I doing? Welcome. Welcome to my blog about my dive into deliberate practice. I thought this could be a way to help me structure my deliberate practice system and give me a… Read more: Converting from performance to development
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Deliberate Practice Psych 