On Good Authority - Program Details - The Therapeutic Relationship and The Economy - Continuing Education for all Mental Health Professionals

The Therapeutic Relationship and The Economy

"To Reduce the Fee or Not?"

1.5 CEs

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In this sample from The Therapeutic Relationship and The Economy: To Reduce the Fee or Not? , Barbara Alexander, LCSW, BCD interviews Frank Summers, Ph.D. about addressing patient concerns about continuing therapy in this economic downturn.

This progam includes the following tests:

THE THERAPEUTIC RELATIONSHIP and THE ECONOMY

INTRODUCTION

The economy goes up and the economy goes down. When it’s down, people lose jobs, lose their incomes, savings become depleted. Then they have to make some tough decisions about what is most important to them.

So here’s the rub: this obviously makes an impact on the therapist. It’s not only the patient who may have to make some tough decisions. Here we are, with psychotherapy and counseling as our livelihood. This requires ethical, clinical, and profoundly personal self-examination. Do we reduce our fees or not? Do we cut back on the frequency of sessions? How do we explore the meaning of this with our patients, who may be in reduced circumstances, but who also may have other issues specifically related to their therapy?

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

1. Recognize the importance of managing the therapeutic frame

2. Recognize the factors to consider in deciding to reduce the fee or cut back the frequency of sessions.

3. Understand which types of patients will be most and least responsive to these changes

4. Be able to recognize one's countertransference issues on this subject.

CURRICULUM SUMMARIES:

1. Frank Summers, Ph.D. shares his observations on the impact of the economy on his practice and discusses the dilemmas this situation raises, explaining the factors involved in modifying one's stance on fees.

2. Karla Clark, Ph.D, discusses the dilemmas involved in making a decision to reduce a patient's fee, stresses why the therapeutic frame can be vital to keeping one's clarity and perspective on this subject, and why the therapeutic relationship cannot be a sale item!