By Kristen McClure, MSW, LCSW | TherapistWorksheet.com You’ve probably heard “polyvagal” more in the last five years than in the previous fifteen combined. It’s in supervision, in trainings, in client handouts. And it’s genuinely useful — Stephen Porges’s work on the autonomic nervous system gives us a framework for understanding why clients do what they…
By Kristen McClure, MSW, LCSW | TherapistWorksheet.com You learned attachment theory in grad school. Bowlby, Ainsworth, the Strange Situation. You can name the four styles. But somewhere between the textbook and your actual 3 PM client — the one who apologizes every time she cries, who texts between sessions and then says she doesn’t want…
By Kristen McClure, MSW, LCSW | TherapistWorksheet.com A new client is sitting across from you. They’re nervous. You might be too — even with years of experience, the first session carries a weight that routine sessions don’t. Because the first session isn’t really about gathering history or completing an intake form. It’s about one question…
By Kristen McClure, MSW, LCSW | TherapistWorksheet.com You know your rates need to go up. Your expenses have increased. Your training has deepened. You’re fully booked and running on fumes. And the thought of having this conversation with your clients makes you want to crawl under your desk. You’re not alone. The fee conversation is…
By Kristen McClure, MSW, LCSW | TherapistWorksheet.com A client tells you they’re done. Or they cancel twice in a row and stop responding to your scheduling messages. Or they say “I think I’m good” in a tone that doesn’t match the work you know is unfinished. This is one of the most loaded moments in…
By Kristen McClure, MSW, LCSW | TherapistWorksheet.com You have five minutes left. The session has been productive — or heavy, or quiet, or chaotic. And now you need to bring it to a close. For a surprising number of therapists, this is the hardest part of the hour. Not the clinical work. The goodbye. We…
By Kristen McClure, MSW, LCSW | TherapistWorksheet.com You have a client who can describe their patterns with remarkable clarity. They understand where the anxiety comes from. They can name the attachment wound. They know exactly why they keep choosing the same kind of partner, or why they shut down when someone gets close, or why…
Receiving a subpoena does not mean you must immediately comply. Here is exactly what to do first to protect your client and yourself.
How to write clinical notes that accurately represent what you observed vs. what clients reported — with before/after examples, SOAP guidance, and 300+ neutral phrases.
