Okay Rosenthal, tell me something about psychotherapy I don't know. Fine: I will! If you've read all the textbooks, analyzed the classics, and been to enough workshops to receive frequent flyer miles, I've got something new to teach you so put down the managed care forms, and pay attention.
My secret weapon for improving your psychotherapy sessions comes from the field of copywriting. That's correct, I said copywriting. Copywriting is the act of creating written documents that persuade customers to reach into their wallet or your purse, and hand over some greenbacks, a plastic card, or simply click that familiar Paypal button.
When you receive a letter trying to sell you Ginsu knives or the latest Ab blasting exerciser, that's copywriting. Ditto for those letters begging for a contribution for your Alma Mater. According to many experts, the greatest copywriter of our time was an upbeat fellow named Gary Halbert. Now according to Gary Halbert (aka "the Prince of Print"), one of the fastest ways to become a master copywriter is to take samples of the best ads ever written and simply copy them in your own handwriting. Rumor has it that Gary did this himself for hours, if not days on end, when he first entered the business. The result was that he transformed himself (and later many of his students) into consummate professionals in weeks, rather than years, using this paradigm.
Along those same lines, I would urge you to select a well-known therapist you believe in and copy their therapy dialogues in your own handwriting. Better yet, since psychotherapy is a verbal pursuit, read the helping sessions aloud. In fact read the session (or portions of the session) again and again. Notice, I said "believe in" inasmuch as Rogers would certainly conduct a therapy session with a given client in a different manner than Ellis. O'Hanlon would no doubt rely on an intervention that bears little or no resemblance to either of the aforementioned luminaries.
When you get to the point that you can guess with a high degree of certainty what the world class therapist will say next you are well on your way to becoming an accomplished practitioner in that particular psychotherapeutic modality.
Will I really give you your money back if this strategy doesn't transform you into a world-class therapist in 7 days? Hey, I'll let you know. I'm still copying a master's ad and I haven't reached the small print section yet.
File under:
My secret weapon for improving your psychotherapy sessions comes from the field of copywriting. That's correct, I said copywriting. Copywriting is the act of creating written documents that persuade customers to reach into their wallet or your purse, and hand over some greenbacks, a plastic card, or simply click that familiar Paypal button.
When you receive a letter trying to sell you Ginsu knives or the latest Ab blasting exerciser, that's copywriting. Ditto for those letters begging for a contribution for your Alma Mater. According to many experts, the greatest copywriter of our time was an upbeat fellow named Gary Halbert. Now according to Gary Halbert (aka "the Prince of Print"), one of the fastest ways to become a master copywriter is to take samples of the best ads ever written and simply copy them in your own handwriting. Rumor has it that Gary did this himself for hours, if not days on end, when he first entered the business. The result was that he transformed himself (and later many of his students) into consummate professionals in weeks, rather than years, using this paradigm.
Along those same lines, I would urge you to select a well-known therapist you believe in and copy their therapy dialogues in your own handwriting. Better yet, since psychotherapy is a verbal pursuit, read the helping sessions aloud. In fact read the session (or portions of the session) again and again. Notice, I said "believe in" inasmuch as Rogers would certainly conduct a therapy session with a given client in a different manner than Ellis. O'Hanlon would no doubt rely on an intervention that bears little or no resemblance to either of the aforementioned luminaries.
When you get to the point that you can guess with a high degree of certainty what the world class therapist will say next you are well on your way to becoming an accomplished practitioner in that particular psychotherapeutic modality.
Will I really give you your money back if this strategy doesn't transform you into a world-class therapist in 7 days? Hey, I'll let you know. I'm still copying a master's ad and I haven't reached the small print section yet.
File under: