Meet The Author Interview with The Practice Institute
Please join me for my Meet The Author Interview, Friday September 30 at 4:00 pm. I will be talking about Sam Feels Better Now! An Interactive Story for Children, follow this link to Register:
Joined Eagles Landing Christian Counseling Center!
I am excited to announce that I have joined Eagles Landing Christian Counseling Center and will be seeing clients at the McDonough and Conyers offices. I am currently taking Cigna and Private Pay Clients. I am pursuing other insurance panels, including Amerigroup and Centpatico. I am a play therapist and a writer, I wrote the book “Sam Feels Better Now,” and I help children learn how to cope with traumatizing situations and disabilities. I can see ages 3 and older. I am hoping to find more time to write, blog and teach. If you are interested in referring to me please contact me.
Eagles Landing Office Phone: 770-898-2966 or my
Cell Phone: 404-234-0546.
Email address: kjillosborne@comcast.net
Blog: www.jillosborne.org
Eagles landing website: http://www.eagleslandingchristiancounseling.com/
Thank you for reading!
Talking to Children about Hurricanes
Wondering how to talk to your children about preparing and the effects of hurricanes? Sesame Street has developed a hurricane tool kit to assist parents and children in talking about and preparing for a natural disaster. There are 5 videos, each discussing different aspects of preparation and also tips on dealing with the aftermath, such as having a routine, finding support, and self care. I watched several of the video clips, each about 15 minutes long, and they show realistic emotions, preparations and after effects. You can check out www.sesamestreet.org, click on the parents section and click on the tool kits tab. There are other topics addressed as well. As a therapist, I appreciate the approach that the folks at Sesame Street took on dealing with a disaster that can cause lots of instability for children and their families.
Sandtray Therapy 101
I recently attended a wonderful 2-day sandtray workshop with Denise Filley at Marietta Counseling Center for Children and Adults in Marietta, GA. I have been using sandtray work with my clients since I began this journey of becoming a play therapist, this was the most comprehensive training on sandtray work that I have attended. We covered a range of topics including materials, history of sandtray therapy, and also different perspectives of using the sandtray.
This workshop was highly experiential, including practicing with a partner, group activities, and also individual sandtrays.My favorite part of the training was a partner activity where we did mutual story telling in the sandtray. I had the privilege of practicing that activity with a co-worker, and we took turns picking a figure and adding a story line. I found that after this weekend workshop, we created about 6-7 different types of sandtrays, and I stayed with the same partner throughout the training. At the end of the training we had a larger group tray with about 4-5 different members. We all took turns adding figures until we thought the tray was finished. I found it to be very process oriented, and by the end of the training felt more relaxed and had relieved some stress that I had been experiencing at the time, in addition to feeling like I build some positive relationships with other therapists.
The staff at Marietta Counseling showed professionalism and also hospitality by providing breakfast in the morning, snacks and beverages throughout the training, answering questions, encouraging networking, and also the time they spent setting up all of the sandtray figures!
After this training I felt prepared to go back to work and utilize the techniques we learned right away. I look forward to practicing and increasing my experience using sandtray therapy. I hope to attend future trainings led by Denise Filley, as well as held at Marietta Counseling Center for Children and Adults.
Links:
Denise Filley’s Workshop Schedule
Information about Marietta Counseling Center for Children and Adults
Favorite Therapeutic Activities for Children, Adolescents and Families: Practitioners Share their Most Effective Interventions
I am always looking for free or low cost resources, as I am a therapist on a budget (and I am sure there are many of you out there like me!). With so much info on the web it’s hard to narrow down what’s good, what’s not, and how I can find the resources I need for my clients without spending a fortune. That’s why I am soooo glad that I was sent this free copy of Favorite Therapeutic Activities for Children, Adolescents and Families: Practitioners Share their Most Effective Interventions, Edited By Liana Lowenstein, MSW, RSW, CPT-S.
This ebook is a compilation of over 100 pages of techniques submitted by multiple therapists. It is divided in to different sections: 1. Engagement and Assessment Interventions, 2. Treatment Interventions, and 3. Termination Interventions. Each intervention lists goals of the intervention, materials, advanced preparation, and detailed instructions. As I read through some of the descriptions, I found them easy to follow and detailed enough that I felt that I could easily follow the intervention. The list of contributors includes 35 different therapists, many of which are authors/presenters themselves. The best part is, that the interventions come from various treatment models, including family, sandtray, and more directive, and also integrative models. I love this, as I pull from various theories myself, and therapists from different backgrounds will all be able to glean from this book due to the wide range of ideas. I recommend this book to any child/adolescent/family therapist looking for creative ideas for their clients, as it is FREE!!! and FULL of creative interventions. What do you have to lose? I will be using this resource for a long time, and can’t wait to try some of the ideas with my clients.
Liana Lowenstein is a presenter and also author of multiple books including:
1. Paper Dolls & Paper Airplanes: Therapeutic Exercises for Sexually Traumatized Children (with Crisci & Lay)
2. Creative Interventions for Troubled Children & Youth
3. Creative Interventions for Children of Divorce.
4. Creative Interventions for Bereaved Children.
5. NEWEST PUBLICATION: Creative Family Therapy Techniques: Play, Art, and Expressive Activities to Engage Children in Family Sessions
She has edited: Volumes One and Two of Assessment and Treatment Activities for Children, Adolescents, and Families: Practitioners Share Their Most Effective Techniques, and will be launching Volume Three this year.
To sign up for the free ebook, visit Liana Lowenstein’s website and sign up for her free monthly newsletter. You can also view her upcoming workshops.
Stop It Now!
I just wanted to share this new link, which I have also posted under the Parent Resources page. Stop It Now is a great resource about sexual abuse, warning signs to look for and ways to prevent sexual abuse and speak up for your self.
Will the Ebook Kill the Traditional Publishing?
I recently ran across this interesting article about the rise of ebooks, and the relationships that may change between authors and readers. I am personally finding this trend fascinating and am excited to see how people are using technology with publishing books, especially books for children. Read this article, and comment about your thoughts. Therapists and others who are interested in writing should definitely consider a move to include ebooks into their work.
Play Therapy Works!
I stumbled across this video describing the value of play therapy for children who experience emotional and behavioral issues. Check it out, and also check out the Association for Play Therapy website for more info on play therapy and to find a play therapist
Financial Success in Mental Health Practice
Recently, I interviewed Dr. Steven Walfish, the co-author with Dr. Jeffrey E. Barnett of “Financial Success in Mental Health Practice: Essential Tools and Strategies for Practitioners” about his book and also surviving as a private mental health practitioner. I think that most mental health practitioners who are in private practice or are planning to be in the future will benefit from this book.
What inspired you and Dr. Barnett to write this book?
I was a frequent responder on list serves regarding the business of practice. An Acquisitions Editor at APA Books asked if I would be interested in writing a book about the financial aspects of running a practice, as there were no such reso
urces out there at the time.
What is your background in private practice?
I went into part-time practice in Tampa, Florida upon receiving my PhD in Clinical/Community Psychology in 1981. After I completed a Research Fellowship I then took the plunge into full-time practice. I remained in practice in Tampa until 1992 when we moved to Seattle. I was in full-time practice in Edmonds and Everett, Washington for ten years. We then moved to Atlanta. I was a visiting professor first at Kennesaw State University, full-time as I started my practice, and then two years later was a half-time Visiting professor at Georgia State University as my practice continued to grow. In 2006 I stopped teaching and concentrated solely on my practice.
Are you working on any other writing projects?
Jeff Barnett and I just completed another book for APA Books that will be published
this summer titled, Billing and Collecting for Your Mental Health Practice: Effective Strategies and Ethical Practice. It is a continuation of our emphasis on our first book in that mental health professionals receive little, if any, training/guidance on the business aspects of a private practice. The book focuses on how to bill and collect and to avoid ethical or illegal behaviors in the process. Lisa Grossman, a Psychologist in Chicago, have just signed a contract for Springer Books titled, “Translating Research into Practice: Researcher and Clinician Perspectives. Academics/researchers will present the evidence-based research on a large number of clinical problem areas and then clinicians will comment on what it is like to try and implement evidence-based practices within clinical practice.
When you’re not writing what else do you do?
My wife is an artist so we go to openings. We also enjoy dining out in the wide variety of restaurants that Atlanta has to offer. I also enjoy watching our local sports teams.
What are other books that you have written?
In 2001 Allen Hess and I co-edited, Succeeding in Graduate School: The Career Guide for Psychology Students. It looks at the application process to grad school, then how to make it through (both academically and politically) through the rigors of program, and then looks at career options. In May of 2010 APA Books published a book that I edited titled, Earning a Living Outside of Managed care: 50 Ways to Expand Your Practice Many people want a practice that falls outside the purview of managed care. Very few know how to accomplish this in their practice. The book presents vignettes of people who are doing this and they discuss their interest in the area and if the reader is interested how to learn more about incorporating the practice activity into their practice.
What are some of the top pitfalls that private practitioners find themselves in?
I think the main one is not viewing our practices as a ‘small business” and that we are ‘small business owners.”Another key one is ignoring our entire skill set (assessment, psychotherapy, consultation, writing, research) in helping us to make a living in independent practice. I believe too often people say, “I only do this or I only do that.’ It limits our options to deliver good services or to develop products.
What tips do you have on thriving in mental health private practice?
Jeff Barnett and I have 20 Principles of Private Practice Success that we present in our book.
Here are the top 5:
1. You Need To Resolve the Conflict Between Altruism and Being a Business Owner
2. It Is Essential That Mental Health Professionals Have Ready Access To Competent Professionals To Answer Questions Outside of Their Areas of Expertise. To Ignore This Places the Clinician at Ethical, Legal and Financial Risk
3. Private Practitioners Need To Become Comfortable With Negotiating From a Position Of Strength. If You Are Desperate For The Job or Income You Will Negotiate From a Position of Weakness. Strength is Found in the Ability to Say No Thank You and Walk Away.
4. Participation In A Managed Care Plan Is Not A Requirement For Being In Private Practice. If You Choose To Participate Clearly Understand, and Emotionally Accept, All Of The Financial and Clinical Ramifications and Limitations Beforehand. If You Do Not Do So You Will Be Setting Yourself Up For A Great Deal Of Frustration During Your Participation.
5. There Are Only So Many Hours In The Week That A Private Practitioner Can Earn Income. Therefore It Is Financially Advantageous To Develop Revenue Steams of Passive Income.
How should a therapist prepare themselves for opening a private practice?
First and foremost of course is to buy our book (tee hee!).Actually there are many good books out there on developing a private practice (Chris Stout, Lorina Kase, Holly Hunt, Lyn Grodzki). I would find appropriate mentors who can teach you about the ins and outs and pros and cons of private practice and perhaps they will take you under their wing.Also be prepared to pay for consultation and program development advice. Mental health professionals tend to “be cheap” and not want to pay for services that will bring them more money (or preserve the money they have) in the long run. There are also professional organizations one can join. For psychologists there is APA Division 42, Psychologists in Independent practice.
Who will benefit from your book?
Anyone considering going into practice. The review of the books have lauded how realistic and practical we try to be. In the Preface Jeff and I point out how many mistakes we have made in a combined 50 years of practice. We want others to avoid making these same mistakes.
Many of my readers work with children, what are some additional considerations when working with children in private practice?
Working with children requires flexibility in hours, especially if it is a long-term case. Parents do not like to take their kids out of school on a weekly basis. So hours may need to be offered after school, early evening, or on Saturdays to optimize filling psychotherapy slots. You also need a waiting room that is “kid-friendly” and office staff that can tolerate children with behavior problems. Working with children also requires working with the adults that control their lives (e.g., parents, teachers, school administrators). So skills in working with adults that can be difficult are an essential part of the job description.
What is one of the most rewarding things about working in private practice?
For me it is in having been able to create my own successful small business. I also get to choose my hours, client populations that I work with, and that I have no boss listening to one of my ideas and saying, “No!”
What is one of the most difficult things about private practice?
The uncertainty of the continued success of my practice. One fact about private practice is that it is always changing and evolving. Some of these changes are within my control and some are not. This is the reality of free enterprise in out culture.
How/when did you decide to start writing?
I have always written professionally, though most has been for formal journal articles. Moving into books was a natural progression for me.
Where can “Financial Success in Mental Health Practice” be purchased?
Through the American Psychological Association, Amazon.com and likely other book outlets.
Play Therapy Trainer, Supervisor, Counselor