The Experience: Exploring Clinical Psychology & Psychiatry

Episode 5: Psychotherapy Outcomes: What Actually Creates Change in Therapy with Dr. Barry L. Duncan

Guest: Dr. Barry L. Duncan

Host: Dr. Frederick Wechsler

Join internationally recognized psychologist, author, researcher, and psychotherapy innovator Barry L. Duncan for a captivating conversation with host Dr. Frederick S. Wechsler on Episode 5 of The Experience.

For decades, mental health professionals have been taught to focus on diagnosis, pathology, treatment models, and techniques. But what if some of the most powerful drivers of change lie elsewhere? What if our clients possess more wisdom, resilience, and capacity for change than our profession sometimes acknowledges? And what if the most effective therapists are not necessarily those with the most expertise—but those who listen most effectively?

Drawing from his groundbreaking work on Outcome-Informed Therapy, client feedback, therapeutic alliance, and the ideas explored throughout his career—including The Heart and Soul of Change, On Becoming a Better Therapist, and What's Right With You—Barry Duncan has spent decades challenging conventional assumptions about what truly creates successful outcomes in psychotherapy.

This conversation will explore questions that strike at the heart of clinical practice:

• What actually makes a therapist effective?
• Why do some clients improve while others disengage?
• Are we paying enough attention to the client's perspective?
• What can routine outcome feedback teach us about our blind spots?
• Have we become too focused on what's wrong with people and overlooked what's right with them?
• How can therapists continue growing long after graduate school and licensure?

Barry Duncan's work has influenced clinicians around the world by emphasizing client feedback, therapeutic alliance, common factors, and the importance of measuring outcomes rather than relying solely on assumptions about effectiveness.

This isn't a webinar. It's The Experience. An unscripted conversation between two seasoned psychologists exploring the ideas, questions, and challenges that continue to shape the future of psychotherapy.

The Experience: Episode 4

Guest: Dr. Gordon Wolf

Host: Dr. Frederick Wechsler

A rare, in-depth conversation with Dr. Gordon Wolf, Ph.D.—clinical psychologist, researcher, and author of No More Faceplants: The Choice at the Fork in Your Life’s Path. With over three decades of experience in behavioral psychology, Dr. Wolf brings a powerful framework for understanding why people repeat self-defeating patterns—and how meaningful, lasting change actually happens.

In this live session, Dr. Wolf will explore his concept of the “geometry of life,” a model grounded in attachment theory that explains how early emotional learning shapes adult behavior, relationships, and decision-making. This is a unique opportunity to learn directly from the creator of an approach that bridges research, clinical insight, and lived experience.

Interviewed by Frederick S. Wechsler, Ph.D., Psy.D., ABPP—former Chair of the Arizona Board of Psychologist Examiners, founder and director of a clinical psychology doctoral program at Northern Arizona University, and former professor and dean at the Arizona School of Professional Psychology (AZSPP). This is a unique opportunity to gain insight from a leader who has shaped ethical standards, training programs, and generations of psychologists.

The Experience is not a webinar and not passive education. It is a live, interactive series designed for providers who value depth, dialogue, and clinical excellence.

Topics Covered in Episode 4:

• Explore the “geometry of life” and how it maps human behavior

• Understand the foundations of attachment theory in clinical practice

• Identify recurring self-defeating patterns and their psychological roots

• Learn practical frameworks for creating lasting behavioral change

• Engage in a dynamic, unscripted conversation—not a lecture

• Gain insight from decades of clinical and applied psychological experience

• Connect with a community of providers committed to growth and excellence

The Experience: Episode 3

Guest: Dr. Larry Sideman

Host: Dr. Frederick Wechsler

In this episode of The Experience, we welcome Larry Sideman, a highly respected psychologist, educator, and clinical leader whose career has spanned academia, professional regulation, addiction counseling, psychotherapy, assessment, and clinical training. Dr. Sideman currently serves as a Clinical Professor in the Doctor of Psychology (PsyD) program at Northern Arizona University and previously spent 14 years as Director of Training and Professor within the PsyD program at the Arizona School of Professional Psychology at Argosy University.

Dr. Sideman’s experience bridges both clinical practice and professional leadership. He is board certified through the American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP), a licensed psychologist, licensed professional counselor, licensed independent addictions counselor, Master Addiction Counselor, and certified Clinical Supervisor. Since 1995, he has maintained an independent psychological practice providing psychotherapy, psychological assessment, Fitness for Duty evaluations, consultation services, and professional development workshops throughout Arizona. He also currently serves as a professional member of the Arizona Board of Psychologist Examiners and as a site visitor for the American Psychological Association.

This episode will provide viewers with a rare behind-the-scenes perspective into the realities of psychology training, professional competency, ethics, licensure, addiction counseling, clinical leadership, and the evolving responsibilities of modern mental health professionals. Audience members can expect an insightful discussion surrounding the development of psychologists, supervision and mentorship, regulatory standards, Fitness for Duty evaluations, addiction treatment, and the intersection between academic training and real-world clinical practice.

Throughout the conversation, Dr. Sideman will share lessons learned from decades of teaching, supervising, consulting, and serving within professional leadership roles. This episode explores what it truly means to develop clinical competence, ethical judgment, resilience, and professional identity within the field of psychology.

In This Episode, We Explore:

• Clinical training, supervision, and the development of professional identity

• Ethics, licensure, competency, and regulatory responsibilities in psychology

• Addiction counseling, psychotherapy, and Fitness for Duty evaluations

• The realities of graduate psychology training and mentorship

• Leadership, consultation, and the future of clinical psychology practice

The Experience: Episode 1

In the premiere episode of The Experience, you’re invited into a rare, behind-the-scenes conversation with Frederick S. Wechsler, Ph.D., Psy.D., ABPP—former Chair of the Arizona Board of Psychologist Examiners, founder and director of a clinical psychology doctoral program at Northern Arizona University, and former professor and dean at the Arizona School of Professional Psychology (AZSPP). This is a unique opportunity to gain insight from a leader who has shaped ethical standards, training programs, and generations of psychologists.

Interviewed by Daniella de M Pedroso, Psy.D.—co-founder of Gold Check Plus and Mental Care Network and a licensed psychologist with over 20 years of clinical and leadership experience—this first episode sets the tone for a new kind of professional learning.

The Experience is not a webinar and not passive education. It is a live, interactive series designed for providers who value depth, dialogue, and clinical excellence.

Topics Covered in Episode 1:

• Go beyond credentials and into the clinical mindset of Dr. Frederick S. Wechsler

• Gain insight from a leader who has shaped ethical standards and training in psychology

• Explore real-world clinical decision-making and professional judgment

• Engage in a dynamic conversation—not a scripted lecture

• Learn through depth, nuance, and lived professional experience

• Connect with a community of providers committed to excellence

In this episode of The Experience, we welcome Daniel Wechsler, a clinical psychologist at Scottsdale Pediatric Behavioral Services with specialized expertise in pediatric neuropsychological assessment, autism evaluations, executive functioning, ADHD, learning disorders, gifted intellect, and childhood emotional and behavioral development.

In This Episode, We Explore:

• Pediatric neuropsychological assessment and autism evaluations
• ADHD, executive functioning, learning disorders, and gifted intellect
• Early childhood development and developmental warning signs
• Emotional, behavioral, academic, and social functioning in children
• How psychological testing helps parents better understand and support their children

Dr. Wechsler brings extensive experience in psychological and neuropsychological testing across pediatric and adult populations, including work at Southwest Autism Research and Resource Center conducting autism and research assessments. His background includes APA-accredited clinical training, psychotherapy, play therapy, social skills development, and consultation with families navigating developmental, behavioral, and academic concerns.

This conversation will provide clinicians, parents, educators, and mental health professionals with an in-depth look into the complexity of childhood neurodevelopment, the realities of modern assessment, and the importance of early identification and intervention. Audience members can expect thoughtful discussion surrounding autism spectrum disorders, ADHD, executive functioning challenges, learning disorders, giftedness, emotional regulation, developmental trajectories, and the role of neuropsychological testing in helping children better understand themselves and reach their full potential.

Throughout the episode, Dr. Wechsler will discuss the evolving landscape of pediatric assessment, common misconceptions surrounding neurodevelopmental disorders, and the emotional experience families often face while seeking answers for their children. The discussion will also explore how psychological testing can provide clarity, direction, support, and meaningful intervention planning for children struggling academically, socially, emotionally, or behaviorally.