Loved it

So helpful and simple. I have come away with some real principles to anchor my growth as a counsellor

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Amazing book - great insight

This book will be in my top 10 collection of re-reading / re-listening to. Daryl provides so much valuable insight, I will definitely be revisiting this book. Particularly good for practicing social workers.

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Get ready to fall in love

Let me be up front in terms of disclosure. I have done a few trainings with Daryl Chow. He would walk past me in the street, so we don't know each other but he has a warm and engaging style both in this book and in training that’s led me to feel very comfortable in writing this my first-ever Audiobook review. I genuinely feel this book has made the most difference to my performance in the therapeutic space, more than any of the many books I have read or trainings I have attended. It has tangibly contributed to me becoming a better therapist.

This book is for people working with people in the “supporting-change-happening“ space and who are ready to critically evaluate their work and put their ego in the waiting room. It’s not about changing your therapeutic allegiance or orientation and it is applicable regardless of the issues your clients bring or the spaces in which you work. Change here is measured as an increase in client well-being in four domains. Daryl encourages therapists to monitor what we do with clients so we can know if we are meeting the clients where they are and working with them to go where they want to go. How will we know we are on track; how will we know what to change and when to change? All of these are clearly outlined, explored and practically addressed.

I encourage you to listen to this book, but more than that I encourage you to buy this book. One thing that does not translate well to an audio book are charts and graphs which are so helpful to look at and consider, and so hard to talk about if you can’t see them. They give the therapist and the client a visual representation of the progress of therapy: how is it going in the room and how is it translating to change in the client's life. As a novitiate in this Deliberate Practice space I am becoming nerdily-obsessed with my client’s graphs.

Also I am rapidly becoming disavowed of my first misconception based on my psychodynamic informed assumptions that these measures will present as an unwelcome “third presence” in the therapeutic space. Rather I have found these measures to be an objective observer who contributes such juicy information that I feel empowered and so does the client. These measures enable us to get real, real fast and roll up our sleeves and get stuck into work and progress.

Now, to bring my ego back from the waiting-room; my performance has definitely improved; my drop-out rate has decreased and the average number of sessions for my clients has also decreased with a counterintuitive and commensurate increase in their sense of well-being, hope and empowerment. The measures provide evidence of this.

Suspend your assumptions or biases and have a listen (and then a read); I hope you will be as entertained and intrigued and inspired as I was.

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1 person found this helpful

A must read for new psychs

This book was recommended for my post-graduate psycholgy masters, I highly recomend it. Great read.

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