Intent to understand: Embracing human limits as our ultimate guide with Nancy McWilliams

Nancy McWilliams is renowned for her immense contributions to the field of Psychotherapy and Psychoanalysis. Her career, which spans six decades, has included roles in teaching, private practice, writing, and speaking. Of the many, Dr. McWilliams’ awards and achievements include the Gradiva prize, the Erikson Scholar award, and leadership, scholarship, and international academic excellence awards from Division 39 of the American Psychological Association. 

Clinicians of every theoretical persuasion appreciate her ability to translate complex theory, implications of research, and even the human dynamics between different subgroups within the profession defined most broadly into simply human and accessible language.  

In this brief and personal moment we share with Nancy in this episode, she touches on a nuance of listening to understand and be understood that doesn’t receive much attention.  We seek to understand as clinicians dedicated to healing.  We all yearn to be understood in the most personal and authentic way.  But what people need and appreciate more than perfect understanding is to experience the effort – the ‘intent’ – to be understood.  That’s what makes the space between us as fellow humans work.  That’s what makes it count.  As Nancy said, reiterating the fruits of much research, the outcome of work in therapy is determined by the fit and the relationship between speaker and listener, therapist and patient.

In this episode of The Art of Listening, Nancy will tell us how the power of the therapeutic process hinges on listening with the intent to understand, listening beyond reacting, listening for the meaning, the wisdom there to be received – for speaker and listener, patient and therapist.

Chapters

1 - The scientific benefits of therapeutic practice (3:59)

2 - The difficulty of listening and processing (5:23)

3 -  How Nancy’s mother taught her how to listen (7:52)

4 - The difference between knowledge and wisdom (12:23)

5 - Where psychotherapy and academia do and don’t intersect (16:19)

Links

• Nancy McWilliams
• Nancy’s Books 
• Eileen Dunn’s Website