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One of my favourite concepts to teach is the three levels of professional development: the Technician, the Clinician, and the Magician (thank you Virginia Satir). In today’s world, we often seek the comfort of the "technical", the black-and-white, documented process. We are lucky to work in environments where standard operating procedures, best practices, and data-driven methods promise a straightforward answer for every problem. This creates an illusion: that if you just fol

One conversation changed the way I taught classes, trained staff and organizations and approached my work with clients. The Crisis of Rigid Models Students learn to be generalist-eclectic practitioners, where they study the fundamentals of evidenced based processes, assessment and formulation, and the underpinnings of cognitive, dialectical, and behavioural interventions. Well-rounded programs will include information about safe and effective use of self, relationality and pr

I remember graduating with my master’s degree, trying to believe I was ready to enter the field and begin my career as a social worker and psychotherapist. Despite years of training and support, I felt lost at sea trying to navigate my new roles and expectations. "Will I ever feel like I know what I'm doing?", “Is everyone this complex?” “Is there a strategy here that I don’t know about?” I remember thinking all these thoughts as a new professional. I learned I relied on clin