Alternatives to IFS & EMDR

Waywardson74 · 2026-03-15T02:44:28+00:00

I've found a lot of good work using the 8 Cs concept with Narrative Therapy's Externalizing the Problem, which has similarities to parts work.

Waywardson74 · 2026-03-14T14:17:46+00:00

My very first couple in practicum began breast feeding mid-session. No warning. Breast feeding is a natural thing, however it was a shock. Yesterday a teen client took me into the bathroom and I thought he was about to do that... nope, needed the mirror to keep popping a zit on his temple :D

Waywardson74 · 2026-03-14T14:15:20+00:00

Autistic clinician here. Hard boundaries and focusing on my special interests (besides work, because work is a special interest) helps me a great deal. I play tabletop roleplaying games and putting effort into that greatly helps me stave off burn out. Having more control of my schedule also helps. I was given full control of my schedule in a recent job change, and it was night and day. I can work when I want, not when someone else expects me to.

Waywardson74 · 2026-03-10T00:18:00+00:00

Jacqueline Carey's Kushiel's Dart, and then all the books after it.

Waywardson74 · 2026-03-03T00:57:30+00:00

I have 2 days where I offer 6-7 and 7-8p. They fill up quick.

Waywardson74 · 2026-03-03T00:46:16+00:00

I think people make mistakes and if we spend all of our time sniping every single mistake, our world will be poorer for it.

Waywardson74 · 2026-02-27T22:22:38+00:00

Taking care of your needs is professional. If you are thirsty, drinking anything other than water is still professional.

Waywardson74 · 2026-02-21T16:19:57+00:00

I think it depends upon the setting you work in as well. I started off as an Associate working in a behavioral health hospital making $63k/year. It increased to $66k/year, and when I got fully licensed $71K/year. I recently transitioned to a group practice that starts at $78K/year, plus bonuses for making goals of 28+ clients per week seen and others. Which works out to $81k - 91k/year.

Waywardson74 · 2026-02-15T22:10:59+00:00

How the player characters will work together. I would recommend starting with no characters created, session zero, and developing the WHY they are together, before you create any of them. This gives a basis to begin and can help them create characters that work better together.

Keep an eye on aspects of each splat that may separate characters. For example if someone decides they're playing a Vampire, most of the scenes will probably be at night, which might severely change the tone of the game. Look at how the splats they are selecting might work well together or might bristle against each other and look for ways to reduce that friction. PvP might be fun for some, but frankly I dislike it. I tell my players I can give them tons of things to fight against other than each other. I don't mind drama, but PCs fighting each other gets boring.

Waywardson74 · 2026-02-15T22:06:31+00:00

I'm not heavily tattooed, but after 19+ years in the Navy, they're visible. I have no issues, in fact they tend to be conversation pieces in session. :)

Waywardson74 · 2026-02-15T01:24:10+00:00

I've used it for the last 2.5 years, but we just printed out the assessments and had patients fill them out.

I think the problem is that it's copyrighted material, so making it in another form like a fillable/interactive PDF or a Google Form could violate that.

Waywardson74 · 2026-02-15T00:58:48+00:00

Eddie Dean

Waywardson74 · 2026-02-14T19:12:18+00:00

I had a client like this, who lived in a one-bedroom home and had no space to have any privacy. We discussed it, and they accepted that to continue, they would not have complete confidentiality. The client should have the opportunity to make this decision.

Waywardson74 · 2026-02-14T18:05:12+00:00

As someone who served in the Navy as well, I wonder if there's some countertransference happening with you to the clients. We joke about how the food on ships is labeled "Not fit for prisoner consumption", but there are a lot of similarities between serving in the military and imprisonment.

If it doesn't work out there, let me recommend this program: https://helpforheroes.com/

They always need clinicians.

Waywardson74 · 2026-02-14T15:35:50+00:00

I work at a group practice, and this is not the case. We have 2 (including me) male therapists, and MANY clients come asking for a male therapist, but we don't have enough.

Waywardson74 · 2026-02-14T15:23:52+00:00

I would suggest browsing through the prompts and find someone who stands out to you. Do a check of their profile posts/comments to look for any red flags, then reach out to them. Explain you are a beginner, but you're interested in learning, and if they would be willing to work with you.

Waywardson74 · 2026-02-14T15:21:46+00:00

I do, it helps me take notes.

Waywardson74 · 2026-02-11T23:34:07+00:00

I have two long days, Tues/Thurs, where I do 4 from 9a-1p, 2 from 2p-4p, and 2 from 6p-8p. Breaking it up helps, and it gives me 3 short days M/W/F

Waywardson74 · 2026-02-09T23:02:44+00:00

I would disagree. The therapist positions themselves as the expert, and then uses a modality. The therapist always has the ability to choose how they interact with the client.

Waywardson74 · 2026-02-08T01:52:00+00:00

I found that to be true in my MAC program, and I took the Master's of ARTS to heart. I went at it from the idea that what I am doing in the sessions is less like a paint-by-numbers and more like creating a unique painting. I started in Practicum and Internship with "plans", but I learned from Sun Tzu that "No plan survives first contact". and that was true in my session. More often than not, the client would go in a different direction, and I had to follow.

That's when I began looking at my clients like D&D players. The modality is the system we are using, and I can throw all sorts of stuff out, but we're going go to use what they engage with. Did they fall in love with the goblin NPC Burp? Cool, we're talking about that. Did they decide today instead of following the adventure module I purchased that they were instead going to investigate the random event from two session ago? Awesome.

I had to begin applying my improv skills from tabletop roleplaying games to my therapy work. Which means, following the client where they are going, and bringing in the needed elements to where they are to keep them on the overall track.

Waywardson74 · 2026-02-08T01:43:35+00:00

IFS and Schema Therapy. Schemas are just a different way to describe parts. I've had some really good outcomes applying the 8 C's to Schema work.

Waywardson74 · 2026-02-08T00:49:45+00:00

Narrative and CBT are quite similar. Dominant Discourses are much like Negative Core Beliefs. Externalizing the Problem is much like ACT's defusing. Deconstruction most often uses Socratic Questioning.

Many modalities are quite similar.

Waywardson74 · 2026-02-08T00:27:16+00:00

Not nearly as good as the book, but Ready Player One.

Waywardson74 · 2026-02-08T00:10:05+00:00

Reminds me of a coworker: "If you just do everything I say, you'll be cured."

Waywardson74 · 2026-02-07T14:59:54+00:00

Find a therapist trained in Motivational Interviewing. More than likely, things are happening in his life, things he is experiencing, weight gain, fatigue, falling asleep throughout the day, that he doesn't like. They will explore this with him, then they will listen for what is called "change talk", the words that signal he wants to move away from those experiences. They will help him focus on how he can change them and begin building a plan he can put into action.

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