In late 2020, we connected with David Clark and Linda Greer-Clark, CBT therapists from Troy, MI. The semi-retired couple came to Beck Institute with a purpose: to increase evidence-based training for the next generation of therapists beyond the couple’s lifetime. Over the next several months, we worked together to create a charitable bequest that will fund excellent training in CBT well into the future.
This blog spotlights the Clarks’ journeys to becoming therapists, why they chose to focus on CBT training, and why funding scholarships to certify clinicians in the future is important to them.
As David says best, “The ripple effect of a gift like this is tremendous.” This bequest gift will be transformational for so many individuals. If you would like to learn more about ways to give to BI, click here.
What inspired you both to become therapists?
David: I’ve always been empathetic and aware of other people’s feelings, since childhood. As soon as I learned in high school, which was a long time ago, that there was the field of psychology, I thought, “That really sounds fascinating, and I’d really like to learn about that.” I just had to wait until college to start taking courses.
Linda: I think I became a therapist very young (laughs), around nine years old. Since I was a child, I have always been a helper, observer, and a listener. As like David, I always felt for other individuals, particularly those who struggled emotionally. These were my strengths, so I decided I wanted to become a psychologist when I was 17 and started college psychology courses while in high school. I was curious about what made people tick, how they behaved and why.
What was it like to become practicing therapists and how did you find your way to CBT?
Linda: I really loved it from the start. That said, at the beginning, when I was being trained in more psychoanalytic practices, I kept thinking, “There’s something more here.” I always loved learning, so as time went on, I studied more. I waited seven years before pursuing my doctoral degree after my Masters, and that gave me time to gain more experience and read more about CBT. So, my PhD was focused on evidence-based practices, and my dissertation was on the cognition and behavior of shy, self-conscious adolescents.
David: I experimented with a variety of forms of therapy, but often felt frustrated because I thought that I wasn’t getting a handle on people’s issues.
I was introduced to CBT when I was working in a large healthcare system. The organization wanted to incorporate short-term therapy because it was more cost effective. They sponsored the Beck Institute training for their employees. I had previously read a few of Dr. Aaron Beck’s books and attended a few workshops, but it was the certification process that inspired me to really become devoted to CBT exclusively. It helped me to be specific with people and their thoughts and understand how to help them instead of just analyzing what they said. This opened a whole dimension of therapy, and I started seeing benefits for my clients immediately.
Linda: Yes, our original training just wasn’t hitting the mark. The Socratic method offered clarity and specificity. Instead of speculating and making interpretations, by asking questions I found I could get to the specifics of what the client was thinking or feeling. I’m always amazed at how unique clients’ thoughts are. I like the collaborative process and the structure of CBT, and I found that I could really help people like I never could before.
At the time David was incorporating CBT into his practice, I became very ill with Lyme Disease, but I still wanted to learn. So, I read [Dr. Judith Beck’s] Cognitive Behavior Therapy: Basics and Beyond, and [Dr. Aaron Beck’s ] Cognitive Therapy of Personality Disorders and kept thinking, “This is wonderful!” And I have not stopped reading CBT books ever since.
David: I still have an image in my memory of being in a bookstore, Linda sitting in a stuffed chair with a pile of books, and she was sleeping, stacks of books around her (laughs).
Linda: I do love books and learning!
We both really continued to pursue CBT after seeing how effective it is. It really is life changing for people. It’s very powerful.
What made you want to start a scholarship fund at Beck Institute?
David: We started thinking about this 15 years ago. We don’t have children, just our Portuguese Water Dog. We want to do the greatest good with the money we have. CBT is very effective. Of course, therapists help the people they see for therapy, but they have the potential to help clients’ marriages, their children possibly, and maybe even the children of the children. By financially assisting therapists to be trained in CBT, I thought there could be a major ripple effect across generations, helping society at large to think more rationally.
Linda: This is how we could continue to help people beyond the time we’re here, which has been our life’s work, to help people in their suffering. We wanted to make this training more accessible, because unfortunately, there are many therapists who dabble in CBT, but are not really trained in it.
There is an emphasis on hope when leaving a legacy. How is the idea of hope incorporated into your practice?
Linda: I think CBT offers a lot of hope for both the therapist and the client. I often begin therapy with someone and recognize there is quite a process ahead of us. But If I know the person is willing to work, there is hope. Unknotting beliefs can be hard, but with the use of CBT techniques, I know there is hope because they work. Better days are ahead for the client.
David: CBT helps people realize that their lives don’t have to be determined by a bad childhood, or how they previously learned to think. Not to say that past events are not important, but CBT allows people to move beyond them. They can get beyond that to be happy, productive, and go on to enjoy their lives. And then they can pass that on. CBT gives people hopefulness because they learn to become their own therapists.
What do you hope for the future of psychotherapy?
David and Linda: We hope it moves in the direction of learning theory and the CBT approach. We’d love to see CBT taught in college curriculums.
What would you tell others looking to support this field?
David: This is a way to both make a difference in the world and to contribute to the field. There is a ripple effect to providing this specific training.
Linda: Giving more therapists the opportunity to learn CBT makes a tremendous difference. To me, I think CBT helps people with being a human, to deal with their thoughts and feelings and reduce suffering. I would tell anyone hoping to eliminate more of the world’s suffering to consider creating a charitable bequest to create a long-lasting impact.
To learn more about giving to Beck Institute, click here.