Making Therapy Better

Bruce Wampold, PhD

Making Therapy Better brings together some of the top minds in psychotherapy as well as everyday clinicians to talk about where the field is headed and how we can achieve better mental health care for everyone. www.makingtherapybetter.com

www.carepaths.com

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Episodes

"How Can AI Help Improve Therapy?" with Zac Imel, PhD
Aug 26 2024
"How Can AI Help Improve Therapy?" with Zac Imel, PhD
Zac Imel, PhD is a professor and Director of clinical training in the counseling department at the University of Utah as well as co-founder and Chief Psychotherapy Science officer at Lyssn.io, an AI-powered assessment platform for behavioral health and human services. He has had over 50 papers published in academic journals, with a particular interest in assessing and improving the quality of mental health services in a variety of settings.In this episode, Zac talks to Bruce about his work at Lyssn.io, and how they have used natural language processing to analyze psychotherapy and crisis counseling interactions. Bruce and Zac discuss how cutting edge statistical models are revolutionizing psychotherapy research by allowing for faster analysis of larger sample sizes than ever before. Bruce asks Zac to speculate on how this technology could be used to help therapists improve over the course of their careers and what else he thinks the future holds in terms of the applications of artificial intelligence to mental health services.Follow Making Therapy Better onInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/making_therapy_better/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/makingtherapybetterTwitter: https://twitter.com/therapybetterLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/9223245/The intro and outro music is the Borromeo String Quartet performing Beethoven's "String Quartet No. 3 in D Major" http://www.makingtherapybetter.comMaking Therapy Better is sponsored by CarePaths https://www.carepaths.com
"Closing the Global Mental Health Care Gap" with Daisy Singla, PhD
Aug 12 2024
"Closing the Global Mental Health Care Gap" with Daisy Singla, PhD
Daisy Singla, PhD is a clinical psychologist, associate professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Toronto, and senior scientist with the Institute for Mental Health Policy Research at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health. She has led some of the largest clinical psychotherapy trials in the world, exploring methods for increasing access to mental health services in diverse cultures and settings around the world. She has received awards from the American Psychological Association and the Society Psychotherapy Research, and in 2018 she became the youngest ever recipient of the Pragmatic Clinical Study Award. In this episode, Daisy talks to Bruce about her work to increase access to mental health services in low-income communities around the world, including in rural India and Uganda. She explains how the task sharing model makes it possible to leverage the expertise of mental health professionals along with motivated trainees from local communities to scale up evidence-based treatments in high need areas. She also describes the training and supervision models they employ and offers her insights on how what she’s learned through this work can be applied in North America. Follow Making Therapy Better onInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/making_therapy_better/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/makingtherapybetterTwitter: https://twitter.com/therapybetterLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/9223245/The intro and outro music is the Borromeo String Quartet performing Beethoven's "String Quartet No. 3 in D Major" http://www.makingtherapybetter.comMaking Therapy Better is sponsored by CarePaths https://www.carepaths.com
"Can Psychosis be Treated with Therapy?" with Michael Garrett, MD
Jul 29 2024
"Can Psychosis be Treated with Therapy?" with Michael Garrett, MD
Michael Garrett MD is professor emeritus of Clinical Psychiatry at SUNY Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn, and previously served as medical director of the Department of Psychiatry at North Central Bronx Hospital, and Deputy Director of Psychiatry at Bellevue Hospital Medical Center in Manhattan. He is the author of Psychotherapy for Psychosis: Integrating Cognitive-Behavioral and Psychodynamic Treatment, which won Second Place in the American Journal of Nursing Book of the Year Award, Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing Category. His clinical and academic work has focused on better understanding the experience of psychosis and how it can be effectively treated with psychotherapy.In this episode, Bruce talks to Michael about his experience working with clients exhibiting schizophrenia and other psychotic symptoms. Michael explains his understanding of psychosis as originating from a combination of biological predispositions and environmental factors and describes how his integration of both cognitive behavioral and psychodynamic approaches has helped numerous patients who would be considered untreatable by anything other than medication under the previous paradigm. He shares his hopes for the future of psychotherapeutic interventions for psychosis while recognizing that the field is still in the very early stages of understanding how to treat these extremely difficult cases.Follow Making Therapy Better on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/making_therapy_better/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/makingtherapybetter Twitter: https://twitter.com/therapybetter LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/9223245/The intro and outro music is the Borromeo String Quartet performing Beethoven's "String Quartet No. 3 in D Major" http://www.makingtherapybetter.com Making Therapy Better is sponsored by CarePaths https://www.carepaths.com
"What is a Mental Disorder?" with Jerome Wakefield, PhD
Jul 15 2024
"What is a Mental Disorder?" with Jerome Wakefield, PhD
Jerome is a Professor of Social Work at New York University as well as a member of the American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare, and has sat on editorial boards for the Clinical Social Work Journal and Evolutionary Psychology. He is the author of more than 300 publications appearing in journals in psychology, philosophy, psychiatry, psychoanalysis, and social work, and a number of books, including The loss of sadness: How psychiatry transformed normal sorrow into depressive disorder, which was named Best Psychology Book of 2007 by the Association of American PublishersIn this episode, Bruce and Jerome talk about the history of the DSM and psychiatric diagnosis, and Jerome’s working definition of mental disorder as a harmful deviation from biologically designed functioning. They also touch on the fact that a large portion of people who benefit from psychotherapy are not actually suffering from a diagnosable disorder. Jerome criticizes the current system that requires a diagnosis for insurance reimbursement and the difficult ethical situation this forces clinicians into. Finally, they discuss more generally the problems caused by the medicalization of mental health care and how to move forward.Follow Making Therapy Better onInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/making_therapy_better/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/makingtherapybetterTwitter: https://twitter.com/therapybetterLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/9223245/The intro and outro music is the Borromeo String Quartet performing Beethoven's "String Quartet No. 3 in D Major"http://www.makingtherapybetter.comMaking Therapy Better is sponsored by CarePaths https://www.carepaths.com
"Psychoanalytic Diagnosis and Supervision" with Nancy McWilliams, PhD
Jul 1 2024
"Psychoanalytic Diagnosis and Supervision" with Nancy McWilliams, PhD
Nancy McWilliams, PhD is emerita visiting professor of Psychology at Rutgers University and a former president of the American Psychological Association’s Division of Psychoanalysis. She is the author of several books including Psychoanalytic Diagnosis, and Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy: a Practitioner’s Guide. She is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Rosalee Weiss Award, the Laughlin Distinguished Teacher award, and awards for Leadership, Scholarship, and International Academic Excellence from the APA Division of Psychoanalysis. She also maintains a private practice in Lambertville, New Jersey.In this episode, Nancy talks to Bruce about why she favors a psychoanalytic approach to treatment, and how this perspective informs her thinking about diagnosis and supervision. They discuss why psychoanalytic therapy is relevant to lived experiences of therapists and clients rather than simply an interesting historical artifact, as well as the place it might hold in the evolving landscape of mental health care.Follow Making Therapy Better onInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/making_therapy_better/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/makingtherapybetterTwitter: https://twitter.com/therapybetterLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/9223245/The intro and outro music is the Borromeo String Quartet performing Beethoven's "String Quartet No. 3 in D Major"http://www.makingtherapybetter.comMaking Therapy Better is sponsored by CarePaths https://www.carepaths.com
Depression and Psychedelic Therapy with Charles Raison, MD
Jun 17 2024
Depression and Psychedelic Therapy with Charles Raison, MD
Dr. Raison is a professor of psychiatry and human ecology at University of Wisconsin-Madison, director of Clinical and Translational Research for Usona Institute, and Director of Research on Spiritual Health for Emory Healthcare. In addition, Dr Raison founded the Center for Compassion Studies at the University of Arizona. His research has focused on novel mechanisms involved in the development and treatment of major depression and on the physical and behavioral effects of compassion training. Recently, Dr. Raison has taken a leadership role in the development of psychedelic medicine, particularly as a treatment for depression. He has received numerous awards, including the Raymond Pearl Award from the Human Biology Association, and being named one of the most influential researchers in the world by Web of Science. His most recent book is The New Mind-Body Science of Depression. In this episode, Charles and Bruce talk about depression as a mind/body phenomenon, and as an evolutionarily adaptive response. Charles shares his thoughts on the present and future of psychedelic-assisted therapy and presents a number of different treatment models and frameworks for understanding why psychedelics are so effective at treating depression for some people. Follow Making Therapy Better on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/making_ther... Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/makingtherap... Twitter: https://twitter.com/therapybetter LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/917... The intro and outro music is the Borromeo String Quartet performing Beethoven's "String Quartet No. 3 in D Major" http://www.makingtherapybetter.com Making Therapy Better is sponsored by CarePaths https://www.carepaths.com
"Technology and Mental Health Care" with Barrett Griffith, Maureen Hart, PhD, and Geoff Gray, PhD
Apr 24 2023
"Technology and Mental Health Care" with Barrett Griffith, Maureen Hart, PhD, and Geoff Gray, PhD
Barrett Griffith is CEO of CarePaths, where he has served for over five years, previously as a developer and then as CTO. He has two decades of experience in the tech industry, with much of that time in healthcare IT.Maureen Hart, PhD and Geoff Gray, PhD are both psychologists with years of clinical and managerial experience who saw the potential for technology to improve the quality of mental health care. Together they started CarePaths over twenty years ago as an electronic health records system which now includes practice management and outcomes measurement tools. In 2022 they teamed up with Professor Wampold to launch Making Therapy Better, an educational initiative including a blog, webinar and this podcast, coinciding with the release of Automated Measurement Based Care by Bruce Wampold, PhD, a feature of the new CarePaths Connect Digital Front Door and Mobile app for patients. Their hope is to improve mental health outcomes by providing therapists with reliable information on the benefits and practice of MBC as well as effective and affordable tools for implementing it.In the final episode of Season 1, Bruce talks with the CarePaths team about the founding of their company and the origins of the Making Therapy Better project. They also review some of the most important themes from the first eleven episodes of the podcast and discuss what's in store for Season 2.Follow Making Therapy Better on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/making_ther... Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/makingtherap... Twitter: https://twitter.com/therapybetter LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/917...The intro and outro music is the Borromeo String Quartet performing Beethoven's "String Quartet No. 3 in D Major"www.makingtherapybetter.comSponsored by CarePaths EHR and Measurement Based Care
"Alliance Rupture and Repair" with Catherine Eubanks, PhD
Apr 10 2023
"Alliance Rupture and Repair" with Catherine Eubanks, PhD
Catherine Eubanks, PhD is co-director of the Center for Alliance-Focused Training, and professor of clinical psychology at Adelphi University. She is a fellow of the American Psychological Association and received the Outstanding Early Career Achievement Award from the Society for Psychotherapy Research in 2015. Dr. Eubanks helped to develop the Rupture Resolution Rating System and is coauthor of Therapist Performance under Pressure: Negotiating Emotion, Difference and Rupture. She also recently released Rupture and Repair in Psychotherapy as part of the APA Video Series.In this episode, Bruce and Catherine discuss the importance of a good working therapeutic alliance, particularly how to recognize and repair ruptures in the alliance, both big and small. They identify the most common markers of alliance ruptures, and talk about how clinical supervisors can work with therapists in training to better recognize these markers. They also talk about supervision of supervisors, and other applications of the alliance rupture framework outside of psychotherapy.Learn more about Catherine's work at: https://www.therapeutic-alliance.org/References:Bordin, E. S. (1979). The generalizability of the psychoanalytic concept of the working alliance. Psychotherapy: Theory, Research & Practice, 16(3), 252–260. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0085885Stiles, W. B., Glick, M. J., Osatuke, K., Hardy, G. E., Shapiro, D. A., Agnew-Davies, R., Rees, A., & Barkham, M. (2004). Patterns of alliance developmentand the rupture-repair hypothesis: Are productive relationships U-shaped orV-shaped? Journal of Counseling Psychology, 51, 81–92. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0022-0167.51.1.81Safran, J. D., & Muran, J. C. (1996). The resolution of ruptures in the therapeuticalliance. Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, 64, 447–458.http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/0022-006X.64.3.447Follow Making Therapy Better on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/making_therapy_better/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/makingtherapybetter Twitter: https://twitter.com/therapybetter LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/91731994The intro and outro music is the Borromeo String Quartet performing Beethoven's "String Quartet No. 3 in D Major"www.makingtherapybetter.comSponsored by CarePaths EHR and Measurement Based Care
"The Problem with Clinical Trials" with Jonathan Shedler, PhD
Mar 27 2023
"The Problem with Clinical Trials" with Jonathan Shedler, PhD
Jonathan Shedler, Phd is a clinical professor of psychiatry at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) and faculty member at the San Francisco Center for Psychoanalysis. He is author of numerous scientific and scholarly articles, and his article The Efficacy of Psychodynamic Psychotherapy won worldwide acclaim for firmly establishing psychoanalytic therapy as an evidence-based treatment. He has more than 25 years’ experience teaching and supervising psychologists, psychiatrists, and psychoanalysts.In this episode Jonathan and Bruce talk about what constitutes meaningful psychological change and whether or not randomized clinical trials of eight to sixteen sessions are actually relevant to real-world psychotherapy. Jonathan also discusses some of the evidence for psychodynamic therapy as an effective long term psychological intervention.Find out more about Jonathan and his work at https://jonathanshedler.com/References:Ormel J, Hollon SD, Kessler RC, Cuijpers P, Monroe SM. More treatment but no less depression: The treatment-prevalence paradox. Clin Psychol Rev. 2022 Feb;91:102111. doi: 10.1016/j.cpr.2021.102111. Epub 2021 Dec 11. PMID: 34959153. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34959153/Beutel, M., Rasting, M., Stuhr, U., Ruger, B., & LeuzingerBohleber, M. (2004). Assessing the impact of psychoanalyses and long-term psychoanalytic psychotherapies on health care utilization and cost. Psychotherapy Research, 14, 146-160.The intro and outro music is the Borromeo String Quartet performing Beethoven's "String Quartet No. 3 in D Major"www.makingtherapybetter.comSponsored By CarePaths EHR and Measurement Based Care
"What is Empathy?" with Terri Moyers, PhD and Bill Miller, PhD
Feb 27 2023
"What is Empathy?" with Terri Moyers, PhD and Bill Miller, PhD
Terri Moyers, PhD is a Professor in the Psychology Department at the University of New Mexico. Her research has focused on the active ingredients of empirically supported interventions for substance use treatments, particularly motivational interviewing. She also has an active line of research investigating therapist characteristics that support more favorable client outcomes. Dr. Moyers has more than 30 peer-reviewed papers in these areas, and has been a keynote speaker and workshop teacher in 11 countries.William R. (Bill) Miller, PhD is Emeritus Distinguished Professor of Psychology and Psychiatry at the University of New Mexico. Fundamentally interested in the psychology of change, he has published 65 books for public and professional audiences including texts on the method of motivational interviewing that he first described in 1983.Together, they are the authors of Effective Psychotherapists: Clinical Skills that Improve Client OutcomesIn this episode, Bruce talks with Terri and Bill about empathy as one of the eight skills that they have identified in their book as important for successful therapists. They discuss different understandings of empathy and how it relates to motivational interviewing. They also address the questions of whether empathy is an inherent trait or an acquired skill, whether it can lead to burnout, and the differences between empathy and compassion.The intro and outro music is the Borromeo String Quartet performing Beethoven's "String Quartet No. 3 in D Major"www.makingtherapybetter.comSponsored by CarePaths EHR and Measurement Based Care
"Tracking Outcomes in Community Mental Health" with Robbie Babins-Wagner PhD
Jan 30 2023
"Tracking Outcomes in Community Mental Health" with Robbie Babins-Wagner PhD
Robbie Babins-Wagner, PhD has contributed to the mental health field as a clinician, researcher, teacher, and manager. She is CEO of the Calgary Counseling Center, widely recognized as a leading institution in accessible, evidence-based, community mental health care. She is also an adjunct professor in the Faculty of Social Work at the University of Calgary, and serves on the board of directors for PolicyWise. She has conducted leading research on Counseling Outcomes, Social Finance, and Social Innovation, and has received several awards, including the University of Calgary Alumni Achievement Award and the 2017 Grant MacEwan Lifetime Achievement Award.In this episode, Bruce talks to Robbie about her experience directing the Calgary Counseling Center, specifically about her decision to make Measurement-Based Care mandatory for all clinicians employed at the center and the exciting results that are emerging from their efforts to track client outcomes.Learn more about the Calgary Counseling Center at https://calgarycounselling.com/Papers referenced:Goldberg, S. B., Babins-Wagner, R., Rousmaniere, T., Berzins, S., Hoyt, W. T., Whipple, J. L., Miller, S. D., & Wampold, B. E. (2016). Creating a climate for therapist improvement: A case study of an agency focused on outcomes and deliberate practice. Psychotherapy, 53(3), 367-375. https://doi.org/http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/pst0000060The intro and outro music is the Borromeo String Quartet performing Beethoven's "String Quartet No. 3 in D Major"www.makingtherapybetter.comSponsored By CarePaths EHR and Measurement Based Care
"Multicultural Therapy" with Dr. Jesse Owen
Jan 3 2023
"Multicultural Therapy" with Dr. Jesse Owen
Dr. Jesse Owen is a Professor in the Counseling Psychology Department at the University of Denver. He is a licensed psychologist with clinical specializations including couple and family therapy and multicultural therapy. He holds various positions including lead psychologist at Lifelong, Inc; Research Director for CelestHealth; Senior Research Advisor for SonderMind; Editor for Psychotherapy. He has co-authored three books: Mindfulness-based practices in therapy: A cultural humility approach; Therapists’ cultural humility; and Research design in counseling. He also has over 180 publications/book chapters. His research focuses on process and outcomes of psychotherapy with a focus on therapist expertise and multicultural orientation. His research has been supported by foundations, federal agencies, and private companies (e.g., John Templeton Foundation, NIMH, DHHS-ACF, and SonderMind).In this episode, Bruce and Jesse talk about the Multicultural Orientation to therapy framework, the challenges that minority populations face in accessing quality mental healthcare, and some things therapists can do to better serve a diverse body of clients.Read about Jesse’s work at the University of Denver and the Society for PsychotherapyLearn about MCO at: https://www.multiculturalorientation.com/The intro and outro music is the Borromeo String Quartet performing Beethoven's "String Quartet No. 3 in D Major"www.makingtherapybetter.comSponsored by CarePaths EHR and Measurement Based Care
"Improving Systems of Care" with Michael Barkham, PhD and Jaime Delgadillo, PhD
Dec 12 2022
"Improving Systems of Care" with Michael Barkham, PhD and Jaime Delgadillo, PhD
Michael Barkham, Ph.D., is a Professor of Clinical Psychology at the University of Sheffield, UK. He has spent the past 35 years promoting the measurement of psychological therapies in routine practice and the paradigm of practice-based evidence as a complement to trials-based methodologies. His research has also focused on the contribution of therapists as well as securing evidence supporting various models of psychological therapy. Most recently, with Wolfgang Lutz and Louis Castonguay, he was editor of the 7th edition of Bergin and Garfield’s Handbook of Psychotherapy and Behavior Change (2021) and the recipient of the 2019 Society for Psychotherapy Research (SPR) Senior Distinguished Research Career Award.Dr Jaime Delgadillo is a professor of clinical psychology at the University of Sheffield, and director of psychological therapies research at RDaSH NHS Foundation Trust. He has twenty years of clinical experience and has published over 90 scientific papers and book chapters in the field of mental health. He has been a principal investigator in clinical trials of psychotherapy and digital health interventions, supporting people with problems such as depression, anxiety, addictions, and occupational burnout. He is a member of the international Society for Psychotherapy Research and an associate editor of the society’s journal, Psychotherapy Research.In this episode, Bruce talks with Michael and Jaime about their work with the IAPT (Increased Access to Psychological Treatment) program in the UK and the benefits as well as some of the problems associated with a “stepped care” model of treatment.Michael and Jaime on the University of Sheffield websiteMichael Barkham on twitter: https://twitter.com/mjbarkhamLearn more about IAPT at https://www.england.nhs.uk/mental-health/adults/iapt/The intro and outro music is the Borromeo String Quartet performing Beethoven's "String Quartet No. 3 in D Major"www.makingtherapybetter.comSponsored By CarePaths EHR and Measurement Based Care
"The Future of Psychotherapy" with John Norcross, PhD, ABPP
Nov 9 2022
"The Future of Psychotherapy" with John Norcross, PhD, ABPP
John Norcross is Distinguished Professor and chair of psychology at the University of Scranton and Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at SUNY Upstate Medical University. He also maintains a part-time practice as a clinical psychologist. He is the author of Changeology and co-author of Changing for Good. Professor Norcross has served as president of the American Psychological Association Division of Psychotherapy, the Society of Clinical Psychology, and the Society for the Exploration of Psychotherapy Integration. He has received many awards, including the APA’s Distinguished Lifetime Contributions to Education & Training Award. Some of his most significant contributions to the field have been in the areas of the transtheoretical model of change and empirically supported psychotherapy relationships.n the first episode of the Making Therapy Better Podcast, Bruce and John talk about the future of mental health care, the need to increase access to mental health services, and the value of interventions outside of traditional psychotherapy such as support groups and digital therapeutics.You can learn more about John at https://www.changeologybook.com/dr-john-norcross/John is also on twitter, Wikipedia, and at the University of ScrantonThe intro and outro music is the Borromeo String Quartet performing Beethoven's "String Quartet No. 3 in D Major"www.makingtherapybetter.comSponsored By CarePaths EHR and Measurement Based Care