The First Kiss: Undoing the Intake Model and Igniting First Sessions in Psychotherapy

Many clients take the first step to see a psychotherapist and do not return after the first session. Why do people disengage so early, when we have so much to offer? One of the key reasons is that we are too focused on conducting an Intake instead of finding a way to Give.We have to find ways to deepen the engagement with our clients right from the first session of therapy.The First Kiss is specifically for the discerning psychotherapist who is willing to challenge the status quo of our profession in the way we conduct our first sessions.At the forefront of coaching psychotherapists and agencies in their professional development, psychologist and trainer Daryl Chow, MA, Ph.D. (Psych) provides compelling applicable ways to increase your impact clients, so as to reduce dropouts and achieve better outcomes.By following the concepts in this book, you will also develop a perennial framework to sustain your lifelong development plan in improving your first sessions and beyond.

Daryl Chow, MA, Ph.D. (Psych) is a practicing psychologist and trainer. He is a senior associate of the International Center for Clinical Excellence (ICCE). He devotes his time to workshops, consultations and researches on the development of expertise and highly effective psychotherapists, helping practitioners to accelerate learning and improve client outcomes. Based on his doctoral research on the role of deliberate practice in cultivating superior performance in psychotherapy, Daryl and colleagues' 2015 peer-reviewed article was nominated the "Most Valuable Paper" by the American Psychological Association (APA). His work is featured in two chapters of two edited books in 2017, Cycle of Excellence: Using Deliberate Practice to Improve Supervision and Training, and Feedback-Informed Treatment in Clinical Practice: Reaching for Excellence. He is the author of several articles, a contributor to edited books, and the co-editor of The Write to Recovery: Personal Stories & Lessons about Recovery from Mental Health Concerns. Daryl's blog, Frontiers of Psychotherapist Development, is aimed at inspiring and sustaining practitioner's individualised professional development. Currently, Daryl maintains a private practice with a vibrant team at Henry Street Centre, Fremantle, and continues to serve as a senior psychologist at the Institute of Mental Health, Singapore. In a previous life, he was a youth worker. He lives in Western Australia with his wife and two kids. He continues to obsess about the craft of psychotherapy and music. For more information, visit darylchow.com.