APA Caucus on Psychotherapy - practicing at the top of our license

[EarlyCareerAcademicPsych]

If you're interested in maintaining and strengthening the inclusion of psychotherapy in the practice of psychiatry, then consider checking out the APA Caucus on Psychotherapy, currently lead by David Mintz who describes managing medications and doing psychotherapy by the same clinician as practicing at the top of our license.

There is a listserv which you can join if you an APA member. Check out the article below.

The Caucus on Psychotherapy: A Voice for Psychotherapy at APA | Psychiatric News

PsychiatryOnline.org is the platform for all American Psychiatric Association Publishing journals, DSM, and bestselling textbooks, as well as APA Practice Guidelines, and continuing medical education.

psychnews.psychiatryonline.org

Partial disclosure: I am not David Mintz

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[EarlyCareerAcademicPsych]

Another article

Psychiatry Online

PsychiatryOnline.org is the platform for all American Psychiatric Association Publishing journals, DSM, and bestselling textbooks, as well as APA Practice Guidelines, and continuing medical education.

psychnews.psychiatryonline.org

 

[EarlyCareerAcademicPsych]

Related post

Psychiatry Online

PsychiatryOnline.org is the platform for all American Psychiatric Association Publishing journals, DSM, and bestselling textbooks, as well as APA Practice Guidelines, and continuing medical education.

psychnews.psychiatryonline.org

 

[nitemagi]

I'd happily join if I was still an APA member...

 

[dl2dp2]

A number of years ago I chatted with someone in APA senior management re: psychotherapy. I told them I think that the only way forward with MDs doing therapy is sub-sub-subspecialized therapy for sick patients and argue for high reimbursement. Make it a "procedure" that requires MD specific credentialing because for that patient group you are guaranteed to need meds at the same time, and by doing this they can probably demonstrate cost savings.

They didn't want to listen to this because people in APA who are in these psychotherapy focus groups are typically "legacy" staff who generally speaking don't know how to argue with data/statistics, aren't familiar with healthcare systems, and are not rigorous thinkers or do serious policy advocacy work, which is often highly adversarial. Secondarily, MDs who are hoping for a psychotherapy career don't want to do "hard" therapy. They prefer analytically oriented treatment on low severity cases--which is fine, but it limits the market. Suffice it is to say, this is the bottom line with MDs and therapy.

 

[EarlyCareerAcademicPsych]

There is some interest in the caucus in a psychotherapy fellowship for psychiatrists. This has been done with good success in the UK.

I'm a psychiatrist who does psychotherapy and I do DBT, PE, CPT in a VA with limited resources. I'm not shying away from "hard" therapy ...

I think that your bottom line is missing a lot of people!

 

[birchswing]

A number of years ago I chatted with someone in APA senior management re: psychotherapy. I told them I think that the only way forward with MDs doing therapy is sub-sub-subspecialized therapy for sick patients and argue for high reimbursement. Make it a "procedure" that requires MD specific credentialing because for that patient group you are guaranteed to need meds at the same time, and by doing this they can probably demonstrate cost savings.

They didn't want to listen to this because people in APA who are in these psychotherapy focus groups are typically "legacy" staff who generally speaking don't know how to argue with data/statistics, aren't familiar with healthcare systems, and are not rigorous thinkers or do serious policy advocacy work, which is often highly adversarial. Secondarily, MDs who are hoping for a psychotherapy career don't want to do "hard" therapy. They prefer analytically oriented treatment on low severity cases--which is fine, but it limits the market. Suffice it is to say, this is the bottom line with MDs and therapy.

It would be kind of funny if you had to come out with something like "clinical strength therapy" the way skincare companies are always amping up the medical nature of their products, except the funny part in this case is that it already should be "clinical strength." Like skincare I think it would work as in both cases people are often not satisfied with the last thing they tried.

What are the hard types of therapy? And wouldn't they take more face-time with a doctor thus negating the cost benefits? I've even heard with some of these types like DBT the practitioner is supposed to be available for phone calls which seems at odds with how medical doctors tend to practice in my experience.

 

[psyguru]

There is some interest in the caucus in a psychotherapy fellowship for psychiatrists. This has been done with good success in the UK.

I'm a psychiatrist who does psychotherapy and I do DBT, PE, CPT in a VA with limited resources. I'm not shying away from "hard" therapy ...

I think that your bottom line is missing a lot of people!

Don't they already have psychotherapy fellowships for psychiatrists:
Fellowship ? I think there is another one.

 

[nitemagi]

Don't they already have psychotherapy fellowships for psychiatrists:
Fellowship ? I think there is another one.

Most therapy training is done longitudinally or in workshop format.

 

[clausewitz2]

A number of years ago I chatted with someone in APA senior management re: psychotherapy. I told them I think that the only way forward with MDs doing therapy is sub-sub-subspecialized therapy for sick patients and argue for high reimbursement. Make it a "procedure" that requires MD specific credentialing because for that patient group you are guaranteed to need meds at the same time, and by doing this they can probably demonstrate cost savings.

They didn't want to listen to this because people in APA who are in these psychotherapy focus groups are typically "legacy" staff who generally speaking don't know how to argue with data/statistics, aren't familiar with healthcare systems, and are not rigorous thinkers or do serious policy advocacy work, which is often highly adversarial. Secondarily, MDs who are hoping for a psychotherapy career don't want to do "hard" therapy. They prefer analytically oriented treatment on low severity cases--which is fine, but it limits the market. Suffice it is to say, this is the bottom line with MDs and therapy.

I've had this same thought about MD comparative advantage when it comes to therapy. TFP seems to have a higher than average proportion of MD therapists and maybe that is just a historical accident but it also might reflect a greater appetite for risk. At least compared to your average LPC or whatever.

 

[EarlyCareerAcademicPsych]

I'd happily join if I was still an APA member...

You could consider re-joining. I never thought that it would be for me. But I found a lot more like-minded people than I expected to find ...