David McPhee's Blog
What is resistance in psychotherapy and what does it look like to a therapist?
I deeply dislike how “resistance” has somehow become a bad thing. No, resistance is the client’s ability to slow down certain interpretations, certain kinds of probing or premature conclusions by a therapist. That makes it a healthy defense that helps keep the process at the right pace.Continue reading→
What happens if a therapist challenges a client beyond what is mentally comfortable for them?
BLOG What happens if a therapist challenges a client beyond what is mentally comfortable for them? Therapy happens.Psychotherapy is not a soothing mental massage session, even though an effective massage therapist may make you a bit uncomfortable at times, or a personal trainer, or your doctor.A good therapist makes sure...Continue reading→
How do you know when someone is really ready for therapy? Or do you just assume they’re ready because they walked in the door?
The therapist is the one who has to be ready. Calm, clear, open, attentive, and ready for the person who walked in the door. No assumptions, no judgments, just unconditional presence. Continue reading→