376: The Art of Therapy with Michael Alcee

This week on Psychologists Off the Clock, Jill takes on the dynamic blend of science and art in therapy with our amazing guest, Dr. Michael Alcee, a mental health educator and the author of Therapeutic Improvisation: How to Stop Winging It and Own It as a Therapist.

Michael sheds light on the vital balance between left-brain logic and right-brain creativity that makes for effective psychotherapy, shares thoughts on the power of humor, metaphor, and emotional connection, and reveals how therapists can embrace their creative side while staying rooted in scientific principles. 

With fascinating examples from Miichael’s professional experience, he presents practical strategies to help therapists enhance their intuitive skills, boost their therapeutic presence, and build stronger connections with their clients.

Please join us for an intriguing discovery of how blending science and art can elevate your therapeutic practice and transform the outcome of your client sessions!

Listen and Learn: 

• How the art of therapy and music intertwine to create healing conversations that inspire growth
• The surprising encounter with Irving Yalom that revealed profound insights into the art of therapy and led Michael to write his book 
• How therapy becomes an art, blending science and creativity to help clients find their true selves
• Embracing intuition, creativity, and improvisation as a therapist to enhance your practice
• Understanding left and right brain dynamics and how it enhances therapy, fostering creativity and insight 
• How the concept "mindsight" and "wise mind" blend logic and emotion in therapy
• How therapists can embrace metaphor and intuition for deeper client connections and transformative outcomes 

Resources:

• Therapeutic Improvisation: How to Stop Winging It and Own It as a Therapist
• https://michaelalcee.com/
• https://michael-alcee.com/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-alcee-14417755/
• https://www.instagram.com/mike_drop_/
• https://www.facebook.com/livelifecreatively2/
• Mentioned in this episode: The Courage to Create: https://www.amazon.com/Courage-Create-Rollo-May/dp/0393311066

About Michael Alcee

Michael Alcée, PhD, is a clinical psychologist in Tarrytown, NY, and is a Mental Health Educator at the Manhattan School of Music. In his first book, Therapeutic Improvisation: How to Stop Winging It and Own It as a Therapist (Norton, 2022), Michael demonstrated how all clinicians are artists, reading the changes like well-versed jazz musicians, finding the poetic turns in their client's stories like skilled writers, and reveling in the creative act that emerges in the humanistic encounter of psychotherapy. His forthcoming book is entitled The Upside of OCD: Flip the Script to Reclaim Your Life (Rowman & LIttlefield, 2024) and aims to add depth to the exploration and understanding of the OCD experience. Michael has been a TEDx speaker and organizer and is a regular contributor at Psychology Today along with contributions to NPR, The Chicago Tribune, and The New York Times, among others. You can also find him on The Psychology Podcast with Scott Barry Kaufman and on Shrink Rap Radio.

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