“You don't need a title to be vital.”
― Robert J. Braathe
Who am I?
What am I?
Before I proceed, let me explain a bit about the work that I do. The main focus of my practice involves something called Instrumental Enrichment. The goal is to work with the client to get them to know how they think. When the client recognizes how they think, together we correct the deficiencies within the thought process.
Perhaps the client is impulsive, perhaps they process all the information before they make a decision. Perhaps they process correctly, but they fail to adapt to changes and their decisions are based upon the old information, not the new information. These are some of the many examples of the issues I face with my clients.
I utilize a series of workbooks in order to accomplish this, but I need to adapt to my client. Workbooks aren’t for everyone, sometimes we need to accomplish this via games, or just through talking.
But this isn’t therapy. Sometimes it ventures into therapy, and I gladly go where my client takes me. My MSW allows me to go there and assist them accordingly, whether it be via Family Life Cycle Theory, Family Systems, Humanistic or Psychoanalytic approach, or whatever else the case may require. I am not locked into a theory, I evaluate the situation and I try to find the best fit. But Instrumental Enrichment is about explaining and understanding thought processes, not talking about feelings and events.
The goal here is to enable the client to think better, and to be able to apply this in all the areas of their lives. I don’t treat the effects, I treat the cause. If the client shows lack of social skills, treating the effect would be to train the client how to behave in public, treating the cause is getting the client to develop an awareness of non-verbal instructions, and to be able to apply them accordingly in different situations. I discussed this in my previous article titled “Bridge Out”
I was recently asked to come up with a title for the work that I do. Something to put onto a business card. A fancy two or three word title that lets people know what I do. I came up with the title “Metacognition Mediator”. Mediator was chosen because I don’t teach, I don’t tell people what to do. I see how they do it, we see together how and if it works for them, and together we try to correct areas where there are deficiencies. Metacognition is the awareness and understanding of one's own thought processes. But the title Metacognition Mediator isn't something that is understood. (Side note: Metacognition isn't even recognized by spell check as a real word). People don’t know what it means without me explaining it, which is a problem. Titles shouldn't require much, if any explanation.
I've thought of other ideas, but I feel that people would just misunderstand what it is I do.
“Thinking Coach”? - Bad stigma/Sounds like some type of guru
“Thinking Mediator”? Ditto
“Special Educator”? - Too Broad
“Special Educator - Instrumental Enrichment Method”? - People don’t know what Instrumental Enrichment is, plus people feel that “Special Educator” is only for people with certain types of diagnoses.
“Thought Process Facilitator/Assistant/Mediator”?
Is there a title for me? Or is the majority of my work so specific that I can’t describe it in two or three words?
Anyone out there able to assist?
Yisroel Picker is a Social Worker who lives in Jerusalem. He has a private practice which specializes in working with people of all ages helping them understand their own thought processes, enabling them to improve their level of functioning, awareness, social skills and more. He also lectures on the topics of communication and child safety.
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