Have you ever been asked on a job interview to think of two clients – one you liked and one you disliked and how you dealt with the counter-transference issues that arose for you? To address this query, I consulted with two experienced clinicians: Cathy Hanville, LCSW @chanvillelcsw and Laurel Wiig, Ph.D. @therapy4help. As a refresher, countertransference refers to the feelings […]
How to Build Cultural Competence
Raquel Ferrell Crowley What is cultural competence? And how do we improve our capability in this area? In this post, you will have the opportunity to not only find out what cultural competence is, but to meet an expert on cultural competence, take an assessment of how you are doing and take some online cultural competence training! […]
Do You Earn Above or Below Average for a Social Worker?
As per the 2009 study commissioned by the National Association of Social Workers (NASW) (results of which were released in May 2010), the median base annual salary for a social worker is $55,000 with 12% earning $90,000 or more per year, and 12% earning less than $30,000. When looking at the median hourly wage [for social workers […]
Re-Energize and Provide Best Therapy
Manage Your Energy for Optimal Ethical Therapy Is there a connection between ethics, performance and self-care? Absolutely! According to Mary Jo Barrett, MSW, there is not only a link between these elements but she argues that it is not ethical for a social worker (or other mental health provider) to not be emotionally or physically […]
Social Worker on a Job Interview: Client with Psychotic Symptoms Shows Up…
Have you ever been asked on an interview for a prospective new social work position: How would you react to a person who just walked in and appears to be psychotic? To help you be prepared for such a question, I consulted with Andrea Goldberg, LCSW who has over 25 years of experience as a psychotherapist, […]
The Surprising Reason We Beat Ourselves Up (and What to Do About It)
Do you tend to be kind and compassionate toward others but have difficulties in showing such kindness toward yourself? Do you find yourself being too critical about yourself in some areas and then you beat yourself up for not being able to quiet that inner critic? I know that I need some work in this […]
4 First Session Strategies Every Therapist Should Know
Most clients drop out after one session. Learn 4 first therapy session strategies from Robert Taibbi, LCSW: understand issues quickly, help clients feel differently before leaving your office. Key first session with client approaches include taking charge, thinking like a detective, not being timid, and fixing mistakes immediately. Improve client retention with these solution-oriented techniques.
The Zen of Online Marketing for Private Practice
Are you a social worker or other mental health provider who would like to create your own website? Are you also rather new to the world of social media? If yes, you are likely to find the e-book Internet Marketing for Therapists Made Easy by Cathy Hanville, LCSW, very helpful. This e-book covers the following topics: Website design […]
How to Practice Self-Care
Self-Care – You know that it is good for you but how do you get there, if you have no time, energy or idea of where to begin? Some of you may be familiar with my post on self-care for social workers and other mental health professionals but today’s post is for everyone, regardless of what profession you are […]
How to Tame Your Job Interview Anxiety Once And For All !
Do you have a social work interview scheduled soon? Do you tend to feel anxious and/or nervous as soon as you have a job interview planned? If yes, please feel assured that you are not alone. In fact, I am addressing this topic today because several of you have asked for help about how to […]










