The counseling field evolves and incorporates new treatment methods at regular intervals. Evidence based and informed methods have been adopted in many clinical strategies. This can generate mixed results in practice, giving credence to the importance of understanding the limitations of approaches on individuals and the necessity of proper training and application practice when used. There are some approaches to care that are promoted through public health agencies and other popular social networks that have taken root among practitioners and organizations that are not adequately researched or focused on individual outcomes. It is not uncommon for the promise of a practice or approach to be adopted simply due to its “novel” nature or promotion by “authorities” who have a stake in its use. A skeptical and curious counselor will assess treatment strategies through a variety of methods that hold the client’s needs and progress at the center of that equation. This training will explore some of these trends and identify how to practice embedding curiosity and skepticism to ensure better practice and reduce potential harms across the populations served.

Objectives

• Explore how to recognize methods that are not working or are not fit for purpose with individual clients.
• Identify treatment elements that contribute to the inability to assess efficacy.
• Identify and practice strategies informed by skepticism and curiosity, particularly when confronted with promoted practices that are “new” and/or “promising”.
• Discuss ways to hold compassionate yet direct conversations if we find ourselves working in places that advance cookie cutter approaches.
• Explore our limitations to impact individual behavior and the notion we cannot help everyone.