My Approach to Psychotherapy

In response to being asked to respond to the question-"what is your approach to psychotherapy?" I initially describe the influence of my early interest in engineering, and then focus on how the following beliefs, tenets, and principles have informed what I do as a therapist: my belief in science, my theoretical orientation, the importance of case formulation, respect for diversity, the importance of psychoeducation, the role of ethics, and the importance of patient collaboration and feedback. A theme throughout the article has been to note the importance of periodic self-reflection and review of what I do as a therapist. For their feedback that influenced my growth as a clinician, I ended with a note of appreciation to all patients for whom I provided treatment, as well as those colleagues who served as peer supervisors.