2026, 13 February, Atlanta: Common Clinician Mistakes and the Ethics of Owning Them, Advanced

Register here.

All clinicians make mistakes, and even though we never want to harm, research shows that 15-40% of clients don’t get better! So what factors might interfere with our good intentions and skills? This workshop is an advanced version of the original Common Therapist Mistakes workshop. (Participants do not have to have attended the first workshop to sign up for this one). For those who attended the first workshop, there will be some review, b...Read moreut more emphasis on mistakes related to therapist characteristics, countertransference, termination policies, and boundaries. This workshop will focus on common mistakes that all clinicians make, the ethics related to these mistakes, and when and why we are most likely to make them. Increasing our awareness and decreasing the incidence of making these mistakes enables us to increase compliance with general ethical principles and standards, such as a model for ethical decision making, self-determination, maintaining competence, and awareness of the effects of personal agenda. Additionally, we will review some mistakes that are related to more specific ethical standards, such as cultural competency, interruption of services, self-care, and monitoring effectiveness.

All clinicians are human, and we all make mistakes. We sometimes give advice when it’s not necessary or find ourselves in power struggles with our clients. When our clients get stuck, we might feel inadequate or label them as unmotivated. In this workshop, participants will have the opportunity to explore their personality characteristics and narratives that make them vulnerable to making common mistakes. For example, if we ourselves struggle with perfectionism, we may have difficulty receiving feedback from our clients (one of mine). Since these are common mistakes, specific strategies apply and will be practiced. Participants will be given the opportunity to increase insight through experiential learning such as small group discussion, journaling, and imaginal practice. Finally, recognizing the universality of these mistakes enables us to use humor and even poke fun at ourselves a bit. Less...

Learning Objectives

List at least 10 common therapist mistakes and utilize specific strategies to avoid making each of these mistakes.
Identify the role of the relevant ethical codes in conceptualizing and addressing therapist mistakes.
Describe strategies to use for when a therapeutic rupture has occurred.
Develop a model for assessing outcome in psychotherapy.
Describe at least two ways that our own agendas can interfere with progress in therapy.
Identify at least two personal factors which increase the likelihood of making these mistakes.

Learning Levels

Advanced

Friday, February 13, 2026

Premier Plaza Building Two
5607 Glenridge Dr ste 100, Atlanta, GA, 30342

09:00 AM CST - 04:00 PM CST

EARN 6 CE Credit Hours

About the speaker

Linda Buchanan, PhD

Dr. Linda Buchanan founded Atlanta Center for Eating Disorders (ACE) in 1993 which she sold in 2017. She received her master’s degree from Georgia State University and a Diploma from the Psychological Studies Institute (now known as Richmont University) in Christian Counseling from which she received the Distinguished Alumnus Award for her work in founding ACE. Dr. Buchanan then went on to receive her Ph.D. from Georgia State University doing a residency at the Medical College of Georgia. Partially retired, Doctor Buchanan primarily spends her time now in consulting, writing and teaching. She runs seven consultation groups for licensed therapists and is an international speaker on topics related to dealing with ethics, ambivalence, narrative therapy and conducting individual therapy from a systems perspective. Many of her workshops can be found on-demand through The Knowledge Tree. Her book, A Clinician’s Guide to Pathological Ambivalence: How to be on your Client's Side Without Taking a Side, was published in 2019, the content of which she has presented at national and international conferences. She has also written two workbooks, one serves as a companion to the Clinician’s Guide and the other is for narrative therapy which can be found on her website at www.lindapaulkbuchanan.com. She has published two chapters and four research articles on her model of the treatment of eating disorders including two outcome studies of the treatment provided at Atlanta Center for Eating Disorders. Dr. Buchanan serves as a peer reviewer of American Psychological Association (APA) Journals and writes a blog called From One Therapist to Another, writing about experience gained in 35 years of clinical practice. She has been married for over 35 years and is the mother of two adopted sons.

Agenda

8:30-9:00 AM: Check-in/Intros

9:00 AM - 9:30 AM: Session 1

9:30 AM - 10:30 AM: Session 2

10:30 AM - 10:45 AM: Break 1

10:45 AM - 11:30 AM: Session 3

11:30 AM - 12:30 PM: Session 4

12:30 PM - 1 PM: Lunch

1:00 PM - 2:00 PM: Session 5

2:00 PM - 2:45 PM: Session 6

2:45 PM - 3 PM: Break 2

3 PM - 4 PM: Session 7

CE Information - Earn 6 CE Credit Hours including

6 Ethics Hour

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Interprofessional Continuing Education

This activity was planned by and for the healthcare team, and learners will receive Interprofessional Continuing Education (IPCE) credits for learning and change.

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Nurses (ANCC) Credit Designation Statement

Successful completion of this program qualifies for 6 contact hours for nurses.

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