Free zoom event with Linda Michaels, PsyD, MBA: Our psychotherapy practices do not exist in a vacuum and in these last few years we have witnessed unprecedented upheaval in the areas of politics, social justice, the natural world, and public health. It is vitally important for our practices and communities to be informed about what people are looking for in mental health treatment, and how they think and feel about the therapies we offer. Therapies of depth, insight, and relationship have been missing from, if not pushed out of, the public conversation on mental health treatment. After decades of attack from multiple fronts, these therapies are misunderstood, undervalued, and overlooked by the general public. To assess what people know about therapy and mental health and what they really want from treatment, the Psychotherapy Action Network (PsiAN) conducted extensive original research with the general public. From this innovative and unprecedented effort to “listen” to the public, we learned about the attitudes and expectations people have towards therapy, which benefits matter most, what their misperceptions and biases are, and what they know and don’t know about mental health and therapy. This presentation will share the findings from PsiAN’s qualitative and quantitative research, which was conducted both at the cusp of the pandemic and again several years into the pandemic. The presentation will also offer a blueprint for engaging and communicating with the public, so that the public gains greater awareness, understanding and appreciation for therapies of depth, insight, and relationship.