Psychotherapy researcher studying how patients test and coach their therapists — and what this reveals about identity, personality, and the relational fabric of treatment.
Dr. David Kealy is an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of British Columbia, where he leads the Identity and Psychotherapy Process Lab. His research centers on psychotherapy processes and outcomes, with a particular focus on how identity-related difficulties and personality functioning shape the therapeutic relationship. He is especially interested in the subtle, often unconscious ways clients influence and direct their therapists — a phenomenon he has described as patients "coaching" their therapists through implicit relational communication.
Dr. Kealy is a registered clinical psychologist and a fellow of the International Society for the Study of Personality Disorders. He has published extensively on personality pathology, interpersonal processes in therapy, and psychodynamic approaches to contemporary clinical work. His research is known for bringing rigorous empirical methods to questions that have historically been the domain of clinical theory and case description, helping close the gap between what therapists observe in the room and what the science can explain.
Dr. David Kealy, associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of British Columbia, returns for part two on how patients coach and test their psychiatrists. Dan and Dr. Ke…
This week's guest is Dr. David Kealy, associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of British Columbia.Dan and Dr. Kealy dive into Control Mastery Theory, exploring its princi…
