My experience as a therapist is that it can be wonderful studying the masters but that most of the interventions that they use should come with a warning label that says, "don't try this at home." The point is that it is so intoxicating to see or experience a great therapist at work that I want to run out and try the technique myself. I've done it often enough to know that it usually falls flat for me, then I feel like a fool and want to say something like "Oh you should have seen Jeff Zieg do it at the workshop last week, believe me it was awesome!" It takes a long time for me to see something that someone else does and make it my own.

Have you ever heard of Luc Longley? Kurt Rambis? Kevin Johnson? Marc Jackson? Unless your an NBA fan, probably not. They were all good basketball players though they weren't Michael Jordon or Magic Johnson. Nor were they all stars.

I'm a pretty good therapist, I think, at least on most days. There's a lot I can't do (the triple pump reverse finger roll for example). There's a lot I'll probably never be able to do. I continue to study and try to improve however, it's typically slow going.

John, you mention that you have two minds (the theory mind and the mind that is present with the client) and you mention that you like your career. Well, it seems to me that those are the three things you need to do good therapy. From my experience it takes time (a lot of time) to balance the two minds, then the engine of your love of doing this work comes in and you take off (at least until you hit a pot hole or have to stop to refuel).

Good luck on your journey, John. There's my two cents worth.