Ethics and Neutrality
Bias, Countertransference, Self-Disclosure and Confronting the Blank Slate Therapist Myth
- Speaker:
- Jason Herr, PsyD
- Duration:
- Approx 6 hours
- Copyright:
-
Nov 18, 2026
- Product Code:
- POS151012
- Media Type:
- Digital Seminar - Also available: Live Webinar
Description
- Best strategies for improving clinical judgement and self-awareness
- Evidence-informed techniques to support ethical, client-centered practice
- The latest tools for cultural competency and case-based clinical reasoning
In order to be a “good therapist,” you’re supposed to be neutral right?
Just a calm, steady, unbiased presence – session after session, client after client.
But does neutrality mean bringing nothing of yourself? Is that possible ... or even the best thing for your clients?
Watch Dr. Jason Herr and learn what therapeutic neutrality really is, where it helps, where it doesn’t …
… PLUS how to keep the focus on your clients without pretending your feelings, experiences and values aren’t in the room too.
With Dr. Herr’s expert guidance and a complete reflective practices toolkit you’ll learn how to:
- Apply neutrality as disciplined curiosity, not emotional distance
- Recognize when unexamined bias begins shaping a client’s story
- Catch confirmation bias, anchoring, and in-group bias before they affect your judgment
- Identify persecutor-savior dynamics and over-identification early
- Offer empathy and validation without slipping into value alignment
Great therapy doesn’t come from a blank slate. It comes from a therapist who sees clearly – themselves included.
This training shows you how.
Purchase today.
Credit
Speaker
Jason Herr, PsyD Related seminars and products
Mindset Health PC
Dr. Jason Herr, PsyD, is a licensed clinical psychologist with over two decades of experience managing and operating a successful independent private practice. Throughout his career, he has developed extensive expertise not only in providing high-quality clinical care, but also in building and sustaining an efficient, client-centered practice grounded in professionalism, ethics, and accessibility. Prior to private practice he worked in Community Mental Health.
As a private practice owner, Dr. Herr oversees all aspects of clinical and operational management, including patient care, practice development, telehealth integration, administrative systems and insurance. His long-standing experience in independent practice has allowed him to create a streamlined and responsive environment that prioritizes continuity of care, confidentiality, and personalized treatment planning. He is particularly skilled at adapting to the evolving needs of clients and the mental health field, incorporating evidence-based approaches and modern practice technologies to ensure effective and accessible services.
Speaker Disclosures:
Financial: Jason Herr maintains a private practice and is the founder of Mindset Health PC. He receives a speaking honorarium from PESI, Inc. He has no relevant financial relationships with ineligible organizations.
Non-financial: Jason Herr has no relevant non-financial relationships.
Additional Info
Access for Self-Study (Non-Interactive)Access never expires for this product.
For a more detailed outline that includes times or durations of time, if needed, please contact cepesi@pesi.com.
Questions?
Visit our FAQ page at www.pesi.com/faq or contact us at www.pesi.com/info
Objectives
- Define neutrality as an ethical and clinical stance.
- Define countertransference and self-awareness in neutrality.
- Identify cognitive biases affecting clinical judgment.
- Identify logical fallacies influencing interpretation.
- Apply strategies to mitigate bias.
- Integrate evidence-based approaches while maintaining client-centered care.
Outline
The Role of Neutrality in Psychotherapy
- Neutrality as an ethical and practical cornerstone of client ownership
- How relational and cultural models challenge boundaries and objectivity
- Risks of unexamined bias and countertransference
- Reframing neutrality as curiosity and respect, not emotional distance
- Neutrality’s role in agency, ethical boundaries, and individualized care
- Neutrality vs. advocacy: Clinical judgment grounded in client welfare
Cultural Competency with Objectivity
- Understand diverse backgrounds without assuming shared narratives
- Respect diverse identities and belief systems
- Build awareness of your own cultural framework
- Avoid assumptions about a client’s lived experience
- Keep focus on individual client goals across differences
Countertransference, Self-Disclosure, and Reflective Practice
- Countertransference as the therapist’s emotional and unconscious reactions
- Its risks to interpretation, empathy, and intervention
- Clinical judgment around self-disclosure and its risks
- Tips for separating client material from personal assumptions
- Bias awareness: Beliefs, reactions, rescue impulses, competence limits
- Self-reflection and supervision as tools for balanced engagement
- Decision-making framework for ethical therapist self-disclosure
Cognitive Biases and Logical Fallacies
- Cognitive bias and heuristics as features of clinical judgment
- Tools to minimize confirmation bias
- How availability heuristic can affect clients
- Tricks to avoid anchoring bias
- How to check fundamental attribution error in case formulation
- Methods to interrupt in-group bias toward similar clients
- Common logical fallacies in clinical thinking
- Structured reflection and consultation to reduce bias
Neutral Therapeutic Techniques and Case Vignettes
- Empathy and validation without value alignment
- Processing vs. challenging
- Objective listening to reduce confirmation bias
- Reframing and perspective expansion without imposing interpretation
- The persecuted savior dynamic and over-identification
- Risks: premature assumptions, projection, dependency, urgency
- Stay neutral through reflection, monitoring intensity, consultation
Evidence-Based Practice and Critical Evaluation
- Integrate research evidence, clinical expertise, and client preferences
- Critically evaluating sources rather than relying on narratives
- Recognize research limitations
- Avoid prescriptive assumptions
- Support individualized, evidence-based care
- Limits of neutrality-based and evidence-based approaches
Target Audience
- Counselors
- Social Workers
- Psychologists
- Case Managers
- Therapists
- Marriage & Family Therapists
- Other Mental Health Professionals
Reviews
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