Time2Track Blog
Real-Life Resources for Students & Early Career Professionals
Stop Hesitating and Start Talking to Your Black Clients About Race: An Update
I wrote STOP HESITATING in 2020 as a way to do my part in unraveling the threads of White supremacy and systemic oppression. It needed an update, as the world continues to change and my expectations of mental health therapists continue to rise. The need for culturally informed mental health care is urgent.
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Psychodynamic Psychotherapy 102: Questions to Guide Case Conceptualization and Intervention
Each year I sit down with trainees to review our goals for supervision and collaborate around areas of growth. For many, learning about psychodynamic psychotherapy is often at the top of the list.
This post discusses different dimensions of psychodynamic therapy that present-day practitioners think about when they work with their patients and provides practical questions to aid in addressing these dimensions in practice.
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Showing Up Fully: A Self-Care Paradigm
#Selfcare is trending, folks.
A simple internet search will turn up plenty of lengthy lists of self-care practices and scores of articles about why you should be practicing it (or else!).
There’s no lack of online wellness platforms where you can see people doing #selfcare – taking baths, exercising, cooking nutritious meals, and wearing mud masks.
And yet, with all of these self-care options from all these self-care advocates, it can be overwhelming to decide what to do and what advice to heed, if any at all.
But it seems like everywhere we go we hear about hundreds of ways to practice self-care, and why we should be doing more of it. Is it just me, or has self-care gotten kind of overwhelming?
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The Introverted Therapist
I had just returned from a 3-week respite in Spain, and I was riding the post-vacation emotional high.
The quaint cobblestone streets of Seville left me with feelings of joy and amusement; the romantic plazas of Madrid left me with love; the vast beaches of Barcelona left me with serenity and awe; and the seafood paella in each of these cities left me with each of the top 10 positive emotions (mostly gratitude).
I was rejuvenated, and I was eager to dive back into work.
My first day back to work was at a new therapy rotation. For the first time, I was scheduled for five consecutive 1-hour sessions (my previous maximum was two consecutive sessions). New schedule, new clients, new office – a perfect reset after vacation.
But by the time my fifth client left my office, I was feeling sheer exhaustion. I felt like someone siphoned every drop of energy out of me. I ended up napping for an hour on my therapy couch (indeed, therapy couches are a real thing) before driving home. I chalked it up to jet lag.
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The Millennial Therapist: How Social Media Affects Our Lives and Work
The millennial generation, born roughly between 1980 and 2000, is a generation categorized by the digital age. An overwhelming majority owns a computer, a smartphone and uses the internet daily. Coined “digital natives,” millennials are a generation raised on using social media as a primary way to communicate and express oneself. This is the generation that is now entering into the field of psychotherapy.
The social media obsession has significant implications for this generation of psychologists, both relationally and professionally. We are entering into the field with a perspective of the world much different than our predecessors. We deal with public exposure in a way that has not yet been faced. There can be some harmful consequences of our lives being so public. As we enter into this field, we must be thoughtful about our social media use and the implications it has for both our work as therapists and in our personal lives.
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Mental Health Care for Older Adults is Necessary – Here’s Why
By the year 2030, one in five Americans will be 65 years or older. The demographic of those aged 80 and older is growing faster than any other age group [1]. There is also a prevailing stereotype of older adults as dependent, depressed, and possibly demented [1].
Taking into consideration this stereotype of the aging population, is there a case to address their mental wellness in addition to the population’s huge demand for basic medical services?
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How to Build an Effective Practicum or Internship Plan
In reflecting upon how graduate students in psychology and related disciplines may begin to view logging clinical hours as a more meaningful endeavor, I explore the features of an effective practicum or internship plan.
The post is written based on the big idea that the development of a student’s professional skills should be treated as an integrated process, not a series of isolated activities.
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Big Boys Don’t Cry: Navigating Masculinity in Therapy
I remember being in grade school and hearing the age-old cliché “Big boys don’t cry” whenever a male peer began to show he was upset about something.
At the time, I didn’t think twice about it, and I’m sure there were moments when I repeated those very words, not realizing the harm I was doing. Regardless of intention, I now see that these types of subtle messages convey a normative stance of stoicism, invulnerability, and detachment that contribute to toxic ideals of masculinity.
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How to Choose a Hospital Training Site in Behavioral Health
I went to graduate school in a large city, and I was lucky to have over a dozen hospital sites to apply to once I knew I wanted inpatient experience. The problem was that I didn’t realize how much variation existed within the world of hospital training.
Knowing what kind of hospital you’re applying to will help you focus your cover letters, know what you’re walking into on interviews, and pick the site that best fits with the experiences you want.
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How to Pass the EPPP on the First Try
In grad school, each step forward was fairly well-defined. In contrast, studying for the EPPP was an unknown. Thankfully, many of the same skills that helped lead to success in graduate school can be used to aid in EPPP preparation, leading to licensure as a psychologist. For any remaining gaps, support is available. Below are six preparation tips to help you get organized and get licensed. Best of luck!
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