Why Is Therapy Taking So Long? The causes and solutions for therapeutic drift

Curt and Katie chat about the tendency for therapists to drift clinically – meaning that they fail to use evidence-based practices that they have been trained to do. We explore the phenomenon of therapeutic drift, contributing factors, ways to mitigate risk, and what therapists can do to address this tendency that leads to poorer therapeutic outcomes. This is a continuing education podcourse.

Transcripts for this episode will be available at mtsgpodcast.com!

In this podcast episode we explore why therapists stray from using evidence-based practices

In order for therapy to be successful, both the therapist and client need to stay invested in the therapeutic process. We explore the reasons that therapy can stall, how to identify the causes, and how to get back on track toward achieving client goals.

What is therapist drift and why is it bad?

• Therapists will fail to use evidence-based treatment even when they have the tools and training
• May be seen as pushing back on manualized treatments that do not seem to focus on the relationship sufficiently
• Therapeutic drift can happen when the therapist and client are not in agreement or clear on the goals for treatment
• Not sticking to the plan for treatment and failing to make progress
• Mislabeling of treatment interventions

What factors contribute to therapeutic drift?

• Client factors include avoiding talking about treatment goals
• Lack of adherent training and understanding of the models
• Therapist factors include not identifying optimal treatment methods or structures upon which to build creative intervention
• Therapists doing what feels good to them versus what is best for the client
• Systemic factors including teaching too many theories without sufficient depth

How can we mitigate the risks of therapeutic drift?

• Practice-based evidence
• Setting treatment plans and single session agendas
• Outcome measures and client feedback
• Intentionality versus convenience
• Assessing bias and where our negative feelings about EBPs come from
• Collaborating with the client
• Deliberate practice
• Consultation, ongoing supervision

Resources for Modern Therapists mentioned in this Podcast Episode:

We’ve pulled together resources mentioned in this episode and put together some handy-dandy links. Please note that some of the links below may be affiliate links, so if you purchase after clicking below, we may get a little bit of cash in our pockets. We thank you in advance!

Very Bad Therapy Podcast

You can find this full course (including handouts and resources) here: https://learn.moderntherapistcommunity.com/pages/podcourse

Continuing Education Approvals:

When we are airing this podcast episode, we have the following CE approval. Please check back as we add other approval bodies: Continuing Education Information

References mentioned in this continuing education podcast can be found in the course on our learning platform.

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Modern Therapist’s Survival Guide Creative Credits:

Voice Over by DW McCann https://www.facebook.com/McCannDW/

Music by Crystal Grooms Mangano https://groomsymusic.com/