Author: Gargi Singh, Psychologist
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Starting a Counseling Private Practice in Texas
Starting your counseling private practice is a career move that is a step into professional independence. It’s where clinical work meets entrepreneurship, where values begin shaping the practice environment, and where your presence can directly support your community’s mental health needs. Counseling Private Practice in Texas When it comes to private practice in Texas, they…
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Treatment Plan for OCD
Treatment plan for OCD (Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder) involves understanding the amount of impact the obsessions and compulsions have on a person’s life. It is often a debilitating mental health concern with a pervasive effect on many aspects of human life. It shows up in different ways and in different degrees. Therefore, there is no one-treatment-that-fits-all, there…
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Cultural Competence in Therapy (And How to Incorporate it Into Progress Notes?)
Cultural Competence in therapy is about the therapist being aware, acknowledging, and accepting of cultural differences that might exist between them and the client, treating these differences with curiosity, compassionate inquiry and respect. Cultural competence helps the therapist maintain an unconditional positive regard towards their client, which in turn helps facilitate a strong therapeutic alliance…
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Best Therapy Techniques & Interventions to Use
The most effective therapy techniques and interventions are those that are carefully tailored to the unique needs, circumstances, and readiness of each client. Over the course of my clinical experience, I have come to understand that the power of any given technique is largely dependent on the strength of the therapeutic alliance and the client’s…
/
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8 Tips to Help You Grow Your Private Practice
In a rapidly evolving mental health landscape—particularly in regions where awareness is growing but accessibility remains inconsistent—therapists with private practice face both a challenge and an opportunity. The challenge lies in navigating a saturated market where simply being qualified is no longer enough. The opportunity, however, is immense: more people are actively seeking support, and…
/
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Therapeutic Boundaries: How to Set Healthy Therapist-Client Relationship Boundaries
Therapeutic boundaries refer to the clear and consistent limits that define the professional relationship between a therapist and a client. These boundaries ensure that therapy remains a safe, ethical, and goal-directed space. They cover aspects like time, place, and content of sessions, how and when communication happens, and the roles both therapist and client play.…
/
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Rupture and Repair in Therapeutic Alliance
A rupture in therapeutic alliance refers to a breakdown or strain in the collaborative and affective bond between a therapist and client. These moments can interrupt progress and may stem from misunderstandings, unresolved transference, therapist error, or broader interpersonal dynamics. Ruptures can be seen not as failures, but as opportunities for growth, when approached with…
/
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Empathy in Counselling (A Complete Guide)
Empathy in counselling is often confused with related but distinct concepts such as sympathy, compassion, or emotional validation. The American Psychological Association defines empathy as the ability to understand another person’s thoughts, feelings, and perceptions from their perspective, but this definition can fall short in a therapeutic context. From personal experience, I have come to…
/
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What are Carl Rogers’ Core Conditions? (A Complete Guide)
The foundation of effective therapy rests on the connection formed between the person seeking help and their counselor. Well before modern therapy evolved into structured methods and specialized approaches, Carl Rogers’ core conditions introduced a revolutionary concept that true healing starts with authentic human connection rather than clinical assessment or direction. His perspective, grounded in…
/
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What are SMART Therapy Goals and Why They Matter?
SMART therapy goals are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound objectives that create a clear roadmap for change. These structured goals serve as anchoring points in therapy, where both client and therapist can celebrate small victories together. Therapy often involves navigating complex emotions, uncovering patterns, and addressing deeply rooted behaviors, which can feel overwhelming without…
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What to do When a Client Shuts Down in Therapy
Therapy sessions don’t always flow smoothly. There are moments when the conversation suddenly halts. A client who was actively engaged just seconds ago now stares at the floor, answers in monosyllables, or seems to have mentally left the room entirely. These shutdowns aren’t roadblocks but doorways that, when approached with care, often lead to the…
/
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Client Resistance in Therapy
Client resistance means unwillingness or opposition to change and growth in therapy sessions. This could be conscious or unconscious. Resistance can cause ruptures in the therapeutic alliance and hence it is important to be aware of the kinds of resistance that there are and how a therapist can work with a resistant client. This article…
/
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Difficult Clients in Therapy
Clients in therapy display a wide variety of emotions and behaviors, and some may even pose particular “difficulties”. “Difficult” can refer to a variety of things. These are clients who remain aloof and quiet in the sessions, overly chatty, unwilling to participate, or even hostile and aggressive might be considered challenging. Such behaviors presented by…
/
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10 Best Podcasts for Therapists
Podcasts for therapists can be a valuable resource offering insights, strategies, and professional growth opportunities. For the longest time I did not understand podcasts. Listening to podcasts was never a part of my ‘to do’. Not until the time when my supervisor recommended “When Therapy Stalls” for a case I was having a tough time…
/
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Communication Skills Therapy: A Comprehensive Guide
In the context of mental health, communication skills therapy refers to the abilities individuals utilize to express their feelings, thoughts, and emotions effectively while also understanding the verbal and non-verbal messages conveyed by others. These skills include: Enhancing communication skills is crucial for effective therapy, fostering strong interpersonal relationships, and deepening self-awareness. Importance of communication…
/
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Gottman Treatment Plan Example
As mental health practitioners, we often come across couple clients dealing with communication issues, emotional disconnection, and unresolved conflicts. Dr. John Gottman’s research-driven method provides a systematic framework that can lead couples to deeper intimacy and lasting fulfilment. The Gottman treatment plan method developed by Dr. John Gottman and Dr. Julie Schwartz Gottman over 40…
/
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How to Improve Counseling Staff Retention Rates
Mental health professionals (MHPs) support the well-being of clients seeking emotional and psychological help. However, extensive turnover in this field breaks up continuity in client care, raises organizational expenses, and puts strain on the remaining workforce. Contributing factors to these poor staff retention challenges are employee burnout, low compensation, limited career advancement, and poor support…
/
-
Understanding Therapeutic Stagnation
For a client, the most soul fulfilling part of a therapy process in seeing how close they are to achieving their goals. Usually, the process is that the client first works with the therapist to understand their thought and behavioural patterns. Gain insight to change their behaviour, implement changes, sit with and process emotions and…
/
-
How to go Deeper with Clients in Therapy?
The transition from surface-level therapeutic engagement to deep, transformative work is probably the most tumultuous task in a clinical practice. While clients might usually present with their immediate issues and mundane concerns in a session, the therapeutic art of depth lies in the capacity to guide them to the underlying issues that underpin their concerns.…
/
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Working with Shy or Quiet Clients: Strategies for Building Trust and Comfort
Therapy is a versatile tool suitable for various life challenges, from managing stress and grief to enhancing personal growth and understanding. (Brenner, 2023). One of the most important components of the therapeutic process is the relationship the client forms with the therapist. This happens in the starting stage of therapy- wherein the therapist gets…
/
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How to Write a Play Therapy Treatment Plan (With examples)
Play Therapy Treatment Planning: A Practical Guide The playroom is a place in a therapy centre where all the magic happens. It's where a child who's experienced trauma can safely recreate their world using different props where anxiety becomes manageable through puppet play, and where unspoken feelings find expression through art and movement based expressions.…
/
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20 Best Icebreakers for Group Therapy
Group therapy sessions can feel daunting for a new client which is why well thought out ice breakers are crucial to help break the ice and to make the client feel at ease. The ice breakers will also facilitate building of connections and belongingness amongst the group members. The Role of IceBreakers In Group Therapy…
/
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What do Therapists do When Clients Withdraw From Them?
Therapy is a space where an individual gets to express their real self. One they aspire to be or wish they could show to the world. It is a space where they can say their thoughts that are constantly running in their mind out loud. In this case, trust and open communication are essential elements…
/
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10 Best Therapy Activities for Teens
Therapy is a process which many teenagers use to navigate from childhood to adulthood. It provides them a safe space to articulate their thoughts and fears without any judgement, helps them cope and become more resilient. Talk therapy is the most used in a counselling set up, however, using activities in a therapeutic setting has…
/
-
Starting a Counseling Private Practice in Texas
Starting your counseling private practice is a career move that is a step into professional independence. It’s where clinical work meets entrepreneurship, where values begin shaping the practice environment, and where your presence can directly support your community’s mental health needs. Counseling Private Practice in Texas When it comes to private practice in Texas, they…
/
-
Treatment Plan for OCD
Treatment plan for OCD (Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder) involves understanding the amount of impact the obsessions and compulsions have on a person’s life. It is often a debilitating mental health concern with a pervasive effect on many aspects of human life. It shows up in different ways and in different degrees. Therefore, there is no one-treatment-that-fits-all, there…
/
-
Cultural Competence in Therapy (And How to Incorporate it Into Progress Notes?)
Cultural Competence in therapy is about the therapist being aware, acknowledging, and accepting of cultural differences that might exist between them and the client, treating these differences with curiosity, compassionate inquiry and respect. Cultural competence helps the therapist maintain an unconditional positive regard towards their client, which in turn helps facilitate a strong therapeutic alliance…
/
-
Best Therapy Techniques & Interventions to Use
The most effective therapy techniques and interventions are those that are carefully tailored to the unique needs, circumstances, and readiness of each client. Over the course of my clinical experience, I have come to understand that the power of any given technique is largely dependent on the strength of the therapeutic alliance and the client’s…
/
-
8 Tips to Help You Grow Your Private Practice
In a rapidly evolving mental health landscape—particularly in regions where awareness is growing but accessibility remains inconsistent—therapists with private practice face both a challenge and an opportunity. The challenge lies in navigating a saturated market where simply being qualified is no longer enough. The opportunity, however, is immense: more people are actively seeking support, and…
/
-
Therapeutic Boundaries: How to Set Healthy Therapist-Client Relationship Boundaries
Therapeutic boundaries refer to the clear and consistent limits that define the professional relationship between a therapist and a client. These boundaries ensure that therapy remains a safe, ethical, and goal-directed space. They cover aspects like time, place, and content of sessions, how and when communication happens, and the roles both therapist and client play.…
/
-
Rupture and Repair in Therapeutic Alliance
A rupture in therapeutic alliance refers to a breakdown or strain in the collaborative and affective bond between a therapist and client. These moments can interrupt progress and may stem from misunderstandings, unresolved transference, therapist error, or broader interpersonal dynamics. Ruptures can be seen not as failures, but as opportunities for growth, when approached with…
/
-
Empathy in Counselling (A Complete Guide)
Empathy in counselling is often confused with related but distinct concepts such as sympathy, compassion, or emotional validation. The American Psychological Association defines empathy as the ability to understand another person’s thoughts, feelings, and perceptions from their perspective, but this definition can fall short in a therapeutic context. From personal experience, I have come to…
/
-
What are Carl Rogers’ Core Conditions? (A Complete Guide)
The foundation of effective therapy rests on the connection formed between the person seeking help and their counselor. Well before modern therapy evolved into structured methods and specialized approaches, Carl Rogers’ core conditions introduced a revolutionary concept that true healing starts with authentic human connection rather than clinical assessment or direction. His perspective, grounded in…
/
-
What are SMART Therapy Goals and Why They Matter?
SMART therapy goals are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound objectives that create a clear roadmap for change. These structured goals serve as anchoring points in therapy, where both client and therapist can celebrate small victories together. Therapy often involves navigating complex emotions, uncovering patterns, and addressing deeply rooted behaviors, which can feel overwhelming without…
/
-
What to do When a Client Shuts Down in Therapy
Therapy sessions don’t always flow smoothly. There are moments when the conversation suddenly halts. A client who was actively engaged just seconds ago now stares at the floor, answers in monosyllables, or seems to have mentally left the room entirely. These shutdowns aren’t roadblocks but doorways that, when approached with care, often lead to the…
/
-
Client Resistance in Therapy
Client resistance means unwillingness or opposition to change and growth in therapy sessions. This could be conscious or unconscious. Resistance can cause ruptures in the therapeutic alliance and hence it is important to be aware of the kinds of resistance that there are and how a therapist can work with a resistant client. This article…
/
-
Difficult Clients in Therapy
Clients in therapy display a wide variety of emotions and behaviors, and some may even pose particular “difficulties”. “Difficult” can refer to a variety of things. These are clients who remain aloof and quiet in the sessions, overly chatty, unwilling to participate, or even hostile and aggressive might be considered challenging. Such behaviors presented by…
/
-
10 Best Podcasts for Therapists
Podcasts for therapists can be a valuable resource offering insights, strategies, and professional growth opportunities. For the longest time I did not understand podcasts. Listening to podcasts was never a part of my ‘to do’. Not until the time when my supervisor recommended “When Therapy Stalls” for a case I was having a tough time…
/
-
Communication Skills Therapy: A Comprehensive Guide
In the context of mental health, communication skills therapy refers to the abilities individuals utilize to express their feelings, thoughts, and emotions effectively while also understanding the verbal and non-verbal messages conveyed by others. These skills include: Enhancing communication skills is crucial for effective therapy, fostering strong interpersonal relationships, and deepening self-awareness. Importance of communication…
/
-
Gottman Treatment Plan Example
As mental health practitioners, we often come across couple clients dealing with communication issues, emotional disconnection, and unresolved conflicts. Dr. John Gottman’s research-driven method provides a systematic framework that can lead couples to deeper intimacy and lasting fulfilment. The Gottman treatment plan method developed by Dr. John Gottman and Dr. Julie Schwartz Gottman over 40…
/
-
How to Improve Counseling Staff Retention Rates
Mental health professionals (MHPs) support the well-being of clients seeking emotional and psychological help. However, extensive turnover in this field breaks up continuity in client care, raises organizational expenses, and puts strain on the remaining workforce. Contributing factors to these poor staff retention challenges are employee burnout, low compensation, limited career advancement, and poor support…
/
-
Understanding Therapeutic Stagnation
For a client, the most soul fulfilling part of a therapy process in seeing how close they are to achieving their goals. Usually, the process is that the client first works with the therapist to understand their thought and behavioural patterns. Gain insight to change their behaviour, implement changes, sit with and process emotions and…
/
-
How to go Deeper with Clients in Therapy?
The transition from surface-level therapeutic engagement to deep, transformative work is probably the most tumultuous task in a clinical practice. While clients might usually present with their immediate issues and mundane concerns in a session, the therapeutic art of depth lies in the capacity to guide them to the underlying issues that underpin their concerns.…
/
-
Working with Shy or Quiet Clients: Strategies for Building Trust and Comfort
Therapy is a versatile tool suitable for various life challenges, from managing stress and grief to enhancing personal growth and understanding. (Brenner, 2023). One of the most important components of the therapeutic process is the relationship the client forms with the therapist. This happens in the starting stage of therapy- wherein the therapist gets…
/
-
How to Write a Play Therapy Treatment Plan (With examples)
Play Therapy Treatment Planning: A Practical Guide The playroom is a place in a therapy centre where all the magic happens. It's where a child who's experienced trauma can safely recreate their world using different props where anxiety becomes manageable through puppet play, and where unspoken feelings find expression through art and movement based expressions.…
/
-
20 Best Icebreakers for Group Therapy
Group therapy sessions can feel daunting for a new client which is why well thought out ice breakers are crucial to help break the ice and to make the client feel at ease. The ice breakers will also facilitate building of connections and belongingness amongst the group members. The Role of IceBreakers In Group Therapy…
/
-
What do Therapists do When Clients Withdraw From Them?
Therapy is a space where an individual gets to express their real self. One they aspire to be or wish they could show to the world. It is a space where they can say their thoughts that are constantly running in their mind out loud. In this case, trust and open communication are essential elements…
/
-
10 Best Therapy Activities for Teens
Therapy is a process which many teenagers use to navigate from childhood to adulthood. It provides them a safe space to articulate their thoughts and fears without any judgement, helps them cope and become more resilient. Talk therapy is the most used in a counselling set up, however, using activities in a therapeutic setting has…
/