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What kind of guidance do therapists provide?
If a client asks for advice, the therapist might offer an opinion, share their thoughts or encourage a client to try a thinking strategy. This kind of guidance fits with the nature of therapy because it still lets clients develop their coping mechanisms and make independent decisions. It is different than telling them what to do. The amount of information you share with a therapist is entirely up to you. You are, after all, the client. To be honest, it’s best to be completely open with your therapist. Giving your therapist a glimpse into your ideas, emotions, and experiences gives them background information and specifics so they can best support you.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 might even change her mind about a stance she took or a suggestion she made during a session.Most therapists will be very respectful towards you regarding your experiences – that’s part of their training, and it is typically a personal goal of many therapists to create an open and respectful environment, anyways.What can I tell my therapist? The short answer is that you can tell your therapist anything – and they hope that you do. It’s a good idea to share as much as possible, because that’s the only way they can help you.
Is it okay for a therapist to give advice?
In actuality, counselors don’t know what would be best and avoid giving their clients advice altogether. Here’s why: Giving advice is not part of their job (really). In fact, most counselor preparation programs, agencies, and practices consistently reiterate why providing advice is not appropriate for a counselor. Because it is not their responsibility, therapists typically refrain from offering advice to their patients. Actually, a therapist’s job is to help clients gain a better understanding of what drives or influences their behavior.The basic rule of thumb is that therapists should not be getting their own needs met by self-disclosing to clients. Even in peer counseling programs like AA, the leaders are typically those who no longer need to discuss their own struggles during every meeting.It can be uncomfortable to discuss something you feel is too delicate or private. But know you’re not alone in thinking you’ve disclosed too much in therapy. When this happens, it can help to explore why you think you’ve overshared and talk it over with your therapist.One of the most challenging aspects of conducting therapy is finessing the balance between meeting clients where they are at and also encouraging them to grow. I believe we all unconsciously recreate patterns in our life that are familiar to us as a way of working through our issues.Being able to share your private information with your therapist while maintaining confidentiality is a benefit. Still, in extreme cases, there may be limits to full confidentiality. Some of these cases are left to the therapist’s discretion.
Should the therapist talks more than I do?
Psychotherapy is not supposed to be like a regular conversation. Over-talking, whether therapists are talking about you or—even worse—themselves, is one of the most common therapeutic blunders. No one can do someone else’s processing. You might feel like therapy isn’t working for you for a variety of reasons, including a lack of trust or a sense of being misunderstood. Here’s how you can improve your experience. There are many reasons why therapy may not be working for you. The causes could be your therapist, the form of therapy they offer, and the way they relate to you.And don’t worry: the biggest, most central thing on your therapist’s mind is going to be YOU. Most of her attention will be focused on simply listening to you, and really wanting to get a good sense of who you are, and how you experience your life.Good therapists should be able to accept you completely and entirely as you are. Carol rogers called this “unconditional positive regard. So you really don’t need to worry about what your therapist might think of you. You can learn from your thoughts about her!There are a few things that might contribute to this: you may not have developed the level of trust you need to feel safe with the therapist you are working with, you may be fearful of being judged by the therapist, or maybe you are afraid that opening the pain of the past might be too much to handle.It may be challenging to express your love—or any other emotion—to your therapist, but doing so will help them better understand your problems and enable you to benefit from therapy.
Should I ask my therapist for advice?
The short answer to the question is: Yes. If you have a question, you should ask. Your questions are valid and likely relevant to the therapeutic process. Blatantly inappropriate questions are of course a different story. It’s okay to ask your therapist about their life. Any queries you may have during therapy are legitimate and most likely pertinent to the therapeutic process. Whether your therapist answers the question and shares personal information can depend on their individual personality, philosophy, and approach to your treatment.Psychotherapy is not supposed to be like a regular conversation. Over-talking, whether therapists are talking about you or—even worse—themselves, is one of the most common therapeutic blunders. Nobody is able to process for someone else.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.Is Therapy Confidential? In almost every instance, therapy is absolutely confidential. You therapist is required to maintain confidentiality about everything said in sessions between the two of you, just like a doctor is required to keep your records private.
Should a therapist just listen?
After all, your therapist is a trained listener, not advice-giver. That does not mean your therapist is merely looking at you and listening while you talk. Any skilled therapist will be listening acutely for specific signals, which they then use to guide the direction of the conversation over time. You can tell your therapist anything, and they hope that you do, is the quick response. Since they can only assist you if you share as much as you can, it is wise to do so.Although therapists are not obligated to show concern, care, or love to their clients, you should look for one that does. Find someone who wants to truly understand you, takes consideration of your whole context, and can empathize.So clients often have feelings for their therapists that are like the ones that children have towards their parents. Sometimes it feels like falling in love. Transference is entirely natural and common, and it can greatly improve the therapeutic experience.With coerced, resistant, or difficult clients, therapy is much more difficult. 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.After you unpack your feelings, your therapist might provide you with some insight in response or help you deconstruct and synthesize what you just shared. They also might give you a task or something to think about if they think it’s important for your process.
Should I be 100 percent honest with my therapist?
Therapists and counsellors expect trust in the sense that both parties understand and are committed to spend every session building it. The most critical component of trust is honesty, so consider being upfront about the fact that you do not trust a therapist 100 percent with certain information to be good practice at honesty. There are a few things that might contribute to this: you may not have developed the level of trust you need to feel safe with the therapist you are working with, you may be fearful of being judged by the therapist, or maybe you are afraid that opening the pain of the past might be too much to handle.You’ll be invited to speak openly. The therapist will listen and may take notes as you speak; some, like myself, take notes after a session. You won’t be criticized, interrupted or judged as you speak. Your conversation will be treated with the utmost discretion.The short answer is that you can tell your therapist anything – and they hope that you do. It’s a good idea to share as much as possible, because that’s the only way they can help you.During the first session, your therapist may ask you: What are your symptoms? What brought you to therapy? What do you feel is wrong in your life?They believe it is their duty to assist you in finding the solutions you seek, and they are aware that silence can facilitate this process. 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.
What is the first thing a therapist asks?
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? You may follow your therapist (if they feel okay), but they may not follow you back. Feeling weird about it? Talk to them, understand their boundary better from their words.Nothing to talk about isn’t a sign that therapy isn’t working; rather, it’s an opportunity to look behind some closed doors. This is part and parcel to the way therapy is structured. Therapy sessions are typically scheduled on a weekly, rather than “as needed”, basis.It’s easy to feel like you need to talk about “deep” or “serious” issues in therapy But remember, there’s no “correct” topic to discuss in therapy. You can talk about whatever you want. True, some people come to therapy to address something specific, like anxiety or depression.Starting therapy can be especially awkward if you’ve not been in therapy before. If you feel weird at first when you’re talking to your therapist, don’t worry. Therapy takes some getting used to, but you’ll eventually get the hang of it.Even if you don’t talk to each other outside of sessions, your therapist still has a relationship with you. She thinks of your conversations, as well, continuing to reflect on key moments as the week unfolds. She might even change her mind about an intervention or opinion she voiced during a session.