🚀 go-pugleaf

> That is, with your classmates, take turns being the therapist and
> the client.  Do therapy with each other.  I found that when I
> described this exercise to my internship class, they thought the whole
> thing was gastly.  Who in their right mind would want to violate the
> bounderies of friendship and therapy by doing psychotherapy with your
> peers?  Well, we did it at U. Ottawa.  And I found that it helped me
> to develop therapy skills.

I totally agree with Matt on this exercise, done many times.  It is
especially helpful in a triad, with a third person giving more objective
feedback.  It's important to allow as much time for feedback and
reflection as for the actual "session," (15-20 minutes each).  You can
also do initial interviews, suicide threats, termination, etc., and you
can practice specific skills (empathic responses and mirroring, probing,
cognitive techniques, and so on).  Even if the "client" starts by
role-playing, it tends to get real, and there needs to be an agreement
about confidentiality and containment.

I also agree on practicing doing mental status exams, both very short
ones and more detailed ones.

Will get you the references I promised.