OCTOBER WORKSHOP- Adam Brenner, MD: Who Am I to Talk About Impostor Syndrome? Humility and Shame in the Development of Therapists
OCTOBER WORKSHOP- Adam Brenner, MD: Who Am I to Talk About Impostor Syndrome? Humility and Shame in the Development of Therapists
Who Am I to Talk About Impostor Syndrome? Humility and Shame in the Development of Therapists
This above all: to thine own self be true
— Hamlet
Date: Saturday, October 24th 10AM-2PM
Credits: 3 CE
Speaker: Adam Brenner, MD
Meeting is both on Zoom & in-person at:
UTSW (building/room TBD)
We are all developing as psychotherapists throughout our careers and may struggle to find the appropriate balance of confidence and self-doubt. Particularly at times of transition and career development, many are vulnerable to experiencing impostor phenomena (feelings of inadequacy and the anxiety of being ‘found out’). At the other end of the spectrum is the danger of professional hubris - over-estimation of our individual skills and over-confidence in the validity of our theories. And yet, one of the mainstays of the therapeutic alliance and a predictor of success is the hope inspired when the patient feels they have found an expert guide who conveys confidence in the difficult path ahead. In the midst of these tensions we try to bring our authentic selves to the ambiguous and unscripted work of psychodynamic therapy. When faced with stalled treatment, setbacks in progress, therapeutic ruptures, or bad outcomes, feelings of shame may assail the psychotherapist. In this workshop we will consider how to be a community that supports each other in humility as an antidote for both shame and hubris. Our goal will be to learn to ground ourselves in a balanced and accurate perspective that appreciates the value and expertise we offer, while embracing the uncertainty, limitations, and imperfection of our professional work.
GAP IN KNOWLEDGE:
This workshop will address the complicated intersection of the psychotherapist’s confidence, self-doubt, shame, hubris, and humility through exploration of the published literature and case material.
Impact on Clinical Competency: Participants will grow in their capacity to reflect on their own shame and anxiety about competence from a balanced perspective and bring this humility to the service of their clients/patients.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
Participants will be able to
Differentiate impostor syndrome from healthy doubt and anxiety about their work.
Identify strategies for managing the therapist’s experience of their own shame as it relates to their clinical work
Define and describe humility as a goal for the developing psychotherapist
PRESENTER BIOGRAPHY:
Dr. Brenner is Professor of Psychiatry, Distinguished Teaching Professor, Director of Adult Psychiatry Residency Training, and Vice Chair for Education in Psychiatry. He is a graduate of Emory University, Magna Cum Laude in Philosophy. He attended Harvard Medical School and then completed his psychiatry residency at McLean Hospital. Dr. Brenner’s clinical focus is in the treatment of anxiety, depression, trauma, and personality disorders with a combination of psychoanalytic psychotherapy and psychopharmacology. His recent publications include “Is it time to rethink psychiatry residency training? Training general psychiatrists to be general psychiatrists” and “Staying grounded: Humility as an aim in psychiatry education and practice”, both published in Academic Psychiatry. Dr. Brenner previously served as the President of the American Association of Directors of Psychiatric Residency Training (AADPRT). Among his educational honors, he has been elected to the University of Texas Academy of Health Science Educators, and he received the University of Texas Regents’ Outstanding Teacher Award and the Association for Academic Psychiatry’s Roberts Award for Inspirational Mentorship. A graduate of the Boston Psychoanalytic Institute, Dr. Brenner is on the faculty of the Dallas Psychoanalytic Center. Dr. Brenner is Editor-in-Chief for the journal Academic Psychiatry and serves as Vice Chair of the Psychiatry Review Committee at the Accreditation Council of Graduate Medical Education (ACGME).
REFERENCES:
Clark C, Holden C, Russell M, Downs H: The Impostor Phenomenon in Mental Health Professionals: Relationships Among Compassion Fatigue, Burnout, and Compassion Satisfaction. Contemporary Family Therapy (2022) 44: 185-197
Watkins CE, Mosher DK: Psychotherapy Trainee Humility and its Impact: Conceptual and Practical Considerations. Journal of Contemporary Psychotherapy (2020) 50: 187-195
Akhtar S: Humility. American Journal of Psychoanalysis (2-18) 78: 1-27