>> I get why there's this idea that self-disclosure on the part of therapists is a bad idea - I've had at least one therapist who seriously crossed the line there into messy and -too- personal.... <<
There's a sweet spot between too much disclosure and too little, and that should be defined by the client, so long as it doesn't cross the therapist's own boundaries.
>> But I've also never understood why there isn't more training on how to do it in a reasonable way.<<
Because L-America is very much a commodity culture. They want people to buy goods and services, not form connections. The rules for therapists are designed to prevent connections. It's like prostitution -- money up front, no kissing on the mouth, an illusion of love but never the real thing. That's a problem, because it creates an experience that many people find unhelpful or even distasteful, while denying natural human needs. It's a key reason why so many folks try therapy but then bail out.
This also underlies the rise of peer counseling, life coaching, and other less-formal approaches. Free of the tight regulations and insurance scams, they have more freedom to meet whatever needs their clients express.
>> One of the most common questions I get in the first couple of sessions (because I've always felt that it's rude for me to ask a ton of questions without giving the client the opportunity to ask me questions too) is why did I decide to become a therapist and.... when I get this question, I tend to upfront about the fact that it's because I've had my own struggles with mental health and a crappy childhood, I've done (and continue) to do my own work, and I thought I was in a position to maybe be able to help others. I generally won't go into detail but I think sketching the general outline of the situation is important and the more I think about it is probably necessary for fully informed consent.<<
That makes sense. A therapist who has used therapy to fix their own life well enough to work in a demanding profession makes excellent evidence that therapy does work.
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dancing_serpent
Thoughts
Date: 2020-12-17 08:15 pm (UTC)There's a sweet spot between too much disclosure and too little, and that should be defined by the client, so long as it doesn't cross the therapist's own boundaries.
>> But I've also never understood why there isn't more training on how to do it in a reasonable way.<<
Because L-America is very much a commodity culture. They want people to buy goods and services, not form connections. The rules for therapists are designed to prevent connections. It's like prostitution -- money up front, no kissing on the mouth, an illusion of love but never the real thing. That's a problem, because it creates an experience that many people find unhelpful or even distasteful, while denying natural human needs. It's a key reason why so many folks try therapy but then bail out.
This also underlies the rise of peer counseling, life coaching, and other less-formal approaches. Free of the tight regulations and insurance scams, they have more freedom to meet whatever needs their clients express.
>> One of the most common questions I get in the first couple of sessions (because I've always felt that it's rude for me to ask a ton of questions without giving the client the opportunity to ask me questions too) is why did I decide to become a therapist and.... when I get this question, I tend to upfront about the fact that it's because I've had my own struggles with mental health and a crappy childhood, I've done (and continue) to do my own work, and I thought I was in a position to maybe be able to help others. I generally won't go into detail but I think sketching the general outline of the situation is important and the more I think about it is probably necessary for fully informed consent.<<
That makes sense. A therapist who has used therapy to fix their own life well enough to work in a demanding profession makes excellent evidence that therapy does work.