Issue link: http://ncumarketing.uberflip.com/i/944766
Connect. Support. Grow. Tell us about your clinical training/licensure, experience, current work setting/location and clinical interests/specialty. I am an AAMFT Clinical Fellow and an AAMFT Approved Supervisor. I earned my PhD in Marriage and Family Therapy from Texas Tech University in 1987. I am dually licensed in Michigan as a Professional Counselor (LPC) and as a Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT). Until my retirement in 2017, I was an Associate Professor of Counseling at Oakland University in Michigan. Working from a model I developed called Identity Renegotiation, my work has focused on divorce, remarriage, and stepfamilies; families in adolescence; families in recovery; new couple relationships; and long-term relationships. What do you enjoy doing outside of therapy and supervision? I enjoy hanging out at Home Depot. Interestingly, it might be a metaphor for my work as a supervisor. The way the store advisors tackle complex plumbing techniques and give tips about home projects reminds me of how I share information and offer reflective questions in an effort to ease anxiety. Thomas W. Blume, PhD, LMFT, LPC What are some best practices for addressing self of the therapist and relational factors with students/supervisees? I want to challenge the notion that being a good therapist is the same as giving advice to a friend. I try to be a model for listening, observing, and inviting a sense of wonder. One example is providing feedback while reviewing videotapes. Not only am I observing them in session with clients, but I am also watching myself and reflecting on my words and actions. I try to avoid or limit didactic approaches such as taking an expert stance and saying things with absolute certainty. What questions/concerns would you like the clinical team to answer or address?* I wonder why your school/program has a negative stance on virtual local supervision. If we hold confidentiality and security as standards, I do not see what the problem would be if we allowed students and supervisors to meet online, particularly when unforeseen circumstances occur like illness, transportation problems and weather-related challenges. *See p. 9 of this newsletter for the clinical faculty discussion and response Connect. Support. Grow.