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What do you do when a client is silent in therapy?
Get Comfortable with Reflective Silence It can be therapeutically beneficial to allow clients to sit and reflect on their thoughts with your supportive presence. Therapists can communicate support, understanding, and acceptance with gentle reflections and affirmations. Therapists usually want to find ways to help you go deeper. When they respond with silence or a question, that’s usually what they’re trying to do: get you to hear yourself and reflect on what you just said. They want you to keep going. A more recent study shows therapists prefer clients who are motivated and open-minded above all other qualities. Several therapists in a recent study shared characteristics with those they described as their ideal client. Reasons, such as lack of trust or feeling misunderstood, may make you feel like therapy isn’t helping. Here’s how you can improve your experience. There are many reasons why therapy may not be working for you. Your therapist, the type of therapy they provide, and how they relate to you may be the reasons. We can notice if a client may be dissociated if we look out for the following cues: If the client feels in a fog. The client consistently asks therapist to repeat the questions. The client feels as though they are a long way away. When silence, or, rather, the refusal to engage in a conversation, is used as a control tactic to exert power in a relationship, then it becomes the silent treatment, which is toxic, unhealthy, and abusive.
When clients are silent in therapy?
When a client who is usually verbal begins to fall silent while talking about something difficult, corresponding silence by the therapist is often helpful and supportive. It may convey attention and interest, as well as the therapist’s commitment to not interfere with the client’s need to process what is going on. Therapy is much more difficult with coerced, reluctant, or challenging clients. These are typically clients who are not necessarily ready to make a change in their life, but have been forced to do so by the court system, the child welfare system, or their spouse or significant other. If someone is experiencing dissociation during a therapy session, it may show up through a certain eye expression or through shallow breathing. Or when the attention fades or there is agitation, or other behaviors. The person wants more development, but feels unable to obtain it. This can occur for many reasons. For instance, the client may not be ready for the necessary changes, the gap between sessions is too long, or the therapist isn’t pushing the client enough. (a) Psychologists terminate therapy when it becomes reasonably clear that the client/patient no longer needs the service, is not likely to benefit, or is being harmed by continued service.
How do you deal with a silent patient?
Communicate clearly and often so there are no opportunities for misunderstandings. Lead patients by the hand and assume they know nothing about the medical travel process. Be particularly sensitive medical traveler patient needs and expectations. Let them know you are there to support them at all times. Acknowledge the person seems quiet and withdrawal, or acknowledge their non- verbal behaviour (say what you see). Gently confront the patient with the fact that they don’t appear to want to talk You seem somewhat reluctant to talk at the moment… Explain to the patient why you would like them to talk to you.
Why do clients ghost you in therapy?
In most cases, when a client abruptly decides to end sessions, it is usually related to an attachment trauma’s being reenacted in some way, where the pain is too much for the client to bring up in session. In most cases, when a client abruptly decides to end sessions, it is usually related to an attachment trauma’s being reenacted in some way, where the pain is too much for the client to bring up in session. Sometimes we strike a nerve that causes our clients to feel too vulnerable, leading to a “shut down” response. This is a protective mechanism that probably served our client very well at some point in their life when there was a real threat. Eye contact is broken, the conversation comes to an abrupt halt, and clients can look frightened, “spacey,” or emotionally shut down. Clients often report feeling disconnected from the environment as well as their body sensations and can no longer accurately gauge the passage of time. Eye contact is broken, the conversation comes to an abrupt halt, and clients can look frightened, “spacey,” or emotionally shut down. Clients often report feeling disconnected from the environment as well as their body sensations and can no longer accurately gauge the passage of time. The person wants more development, but feels unable to obtain it. This can occur for many reasons. For instance, the client may not be ready for the necessary changes, the gap between sessions is too long, or the therapist isn’t pushing the client enough.
Why does my therapist go silent?
They see their job as helping you find your own answers, and they know that silence can help you do that. Sitting in silence allows a lot of things to rise up inside you—thoughts, feelings, and memories you might not normally experience. And that is what your therapist is hoping you’ll talk about. Your therapist’s relationship with you exists between sessions, even if you don’t communicate with each other. She thinks of your conversations, as well, continuing to reflect on key moments as the week unfolds. She may even reconsider an opinion she had or an intervention she made during a session. Here are a few questions your therapist might ask in your first therapy session, if they haven’t already addressed them in the phone consultation: Have you attended therapy in the past? What are your symptoms? Do you have a family history of mental health struggles? We walk a fine line of being on your side but making sure that you are grounded and can maintain proper boundaries. So yes, we as therapists do talk about our clients (clinically) and we do miss our clients because we have entered into this field because we remain hopeful for others. You can avoid the silent treatment by compassionately acknowledging what you’re feeling. Avoid accusations or hostile language and try not to overthink it. I know for me, a simple “I know I’ve been quiet lately” or “Hey, I noticed you’re not responding to me” opens the door to healthier communication.
Why do therapists go silent?
Silence gives the client autonomy within the session, so that they set the pace for the counselling. If the counsellor instead asked a question, they would be leading the counselling session, and potentially taking the client away from their own focus of attention and feelings. Silence, which is often thought of as isolating, can be an experience that brings the group together, as each client sits and reflects on their thoughts. In group therapy, silence can play an important role in progressing the conversation by giving each party the time to think and respond (Valle, 2019). The primary characteristic of the silent treatment is not talking to the person. Basically, you don’t say anything, not even if the person tries to engage you in conversation. You actively choose not to respond to any comments, discussions, or accusations. The silent treatment is strikingly similar to gaslighting, as both flourish in power and control. In fact, some therapists call the silent treatment a form of gaslighting, used to cause personal uncertainty, and a sense of doubt when considering goals, self-views and worldviews. A safe emotional environment can be achieved through a calm talking voice, a slower speaking pattern, and thoughtful language. Every therapist should be attentive to the fact that each client moves at their own pace. For some, this might be fast and for others, it might take time. A safe emotional environment can be achieved through a calm talking voice, a slower speaking pattern, and thoughtful language. Every therapist should be attentive to the fact that each client moves at their own pace. For some, this might be fast and for others, it might take time.
Why does my therapist stay quiet?
They see their job as helping you find your own answers, and they know that silence can help you do that. Sitting in silence allows a lot of things to rise up inside you—thoughts, feelings, and memories you might not normally experience. And that is what your therapist is hoping you’ll talk about. When a client who is usually verbal begins to fall silent while talking about something difficult, corresponding silence by the therapist is often helpful and supportive. It may convey attention and interest, as well as the therapist’s commitment to not interfere with the client’s need to process what is going on. Discussing the facts of a situation without delving into your related emotions. Asking for prescription medication without being willing to put in the work in therapy. Believing your therapist can and will “cure” you. Talking about every detail of your day to avoid discussing uncomfortable topics. Some signs of a bad therapist are easy to spot. If your therapist insults or shames you, it’s time to find someone new. Others are more difficult. The therapist might encourage you to blame others or become overly defensive about a criticism.