Episode 107. If Play Supports Learning, then How Does Mental Health Treatment Support Play?
Safety and trusted social supports are what must be in place before mammals, especially humans, will be inclined toward play activities. And, social play is one way to significantly boost the capacity to learn. At this point in the year, when many children and their families return to school, there are a few things to […]
106. Play as an Indicator of Therapeutic Alliance
Compliance in therapy does not mean that there is a therapeutic alliance, and it can be difficult to discern the difference. In this episode, Dr. Murrow speaks about the ways play can be an indicator of the therapeutic alliance, and she shares ways therapists can observe and assess this to understand more about how their […]
105. Physiological Synchrony Practice Considerations
Today’s study reminds us that everything we do as mental health practitioners, whether in the office or the barn, has an effect on the session. Dr. Murrow reviews a research study that examines physiological synchrony, the idea that there is interaction in nervous systems, physical movements, and more between beings. She shares insights from the […]
104. Observing Interpersonal Synchrony in Therapy
In this episode, Dr. Murrow is continuing the discussion that observing interpersonal synchrony in therapy is, to the author’s assertion, a “trans-theoretical construct” meaning that no matter the style of therapy, this idea is helpful to understand the outcomes of therapy. While theoretical in nature, this discussion ends with a summary of practical applications for […]
103. The Levels of Synchrony in Therapy
In this episode, Dr. Murrow reviews an integrative framework for the therapeutic alliance by authors Koole & Tschacher (2016). Among many things, this framework encourages the therapist’s awareness of multiple facets in the therapy session and it even makes space for these to be assessed in different time horizons. This episode will validate your experience […]
102. Supports That Are Needed in Session for Change to Happen
In this episode, Dr. Murrow shares research about the need for a strong therapeutic alliance to occur in session, in order for there to be a likelihood for changes to be possible outside of session for the patient. This information will be helpful to practicing clinicians as they navigate a patient’s readiness for change, as […]
101. There’s Hope in Research Providing Potential Improvements
In this episode, Brenda reviews a research framework that is aimed at addressing much of the concerns with the practice of mental health, currently. That is to say, there is a research framework that is attempting to integrate the variety of ways patients report symptoms and the variety of ways clinicians have found helpful interventions. […]
100. Increasing our Skills in Observation Leads to Improvements in our Interventions
In the milestone episode, Brenda shares gratitude for listeners as well as her interest in learning and hearing from them about their experiences. She also shares her vision for the field of psychotherapy, and how the podcast topics are specifically designed to support that mission. Attend a Course at Connection Therapy: https://connection-therapy.com/courses-and-events We Want to […]
99. Using Your Voice to Set the Frame in the Therapy Session
In this episode, Brenda shares more details about how therapists may use their voice in their intentions to set-up a calm and safe environment for patients. There is research that shows therapists intentionally do attempt to modify their voice prosody to this aim. Brenda offers reflections on how this might work, and provides an opportunity […]
98. Emotional Variety is an Indicator of Attachment Style
In today’s episode, Brenda explores a study that documents how adults with different attachment styles do display different emotional variances, as reflected by voice prosody, when reflecting on positive and negative experiences from their childhoods. This experience is likely to be something we all have experienced, but is especially relevant for mental health practitioners. She […]