What do therapists do with a client who is always the victim?
Brad was a victim. I know because he told me so, often, and with great and passionate sorrow.
How well does CBT work in therapy?
I never did CBT like a class, as if the client were a student, with the lessons and the worksheets, following a manual. That’s psychoeducation, possibly helpful and interesting, but absolutely not psychotherapy. But if you’ve got a good working relationship with a client, based on trust and commitment, CBT-type interventions can be great.
Are therapists supposed to tell clients they deal with emotions wrong?
Therapy is a deep, unique relationship that allows full expression, exploration, and resolution of any and all emotions and a lot more. It’s about an approach tailored specifically to you, the whole you, not some convenient label or diagnosis.
How many appointments does it take to know if a therapist is a good fit?
BLOG How many appointments does it take to know if a therapist is a good fit? This is a serious...
What is your opinion of a therapist who tells you what to do?
If you’re having a panic attack in front of me, I know what to do to help stop the agony, but you’ll need to follow my instructions and let me help, which is up to you. I will always ask your permission before jumping in.
Are young kids too young for therapy if they don’t really understand mental health?
We saw kids four and up, many of them victims of abuse and neglect, long term. Other kids came as part of family therapy, and still other had various issues that concerned their parents or professionals.
Why do psychologists, gurus, psychiatrists, etc., always recommend that you do things for others?
Because they understand human nature. Because they know all our pains and hurts and ills make us focus on ourselves, and that when we pay all that attention to our own problems, the problems grow bigger and we grow more self-absorbed, and my world is about the arthritis pain in my right knee (it actually was hurting for a few minutes this morning until I got off my butt and took a very active kid to the park).
How does my therapist read my mind? He understands me like no one else does. He only has a few years experience in the field. Is this a skill therapists learn?
BLOG How does my therapist read my mind? He understands me like no one else does. He only has a...
Is diagnosis important in psychotherapy?
We don’t always need accurate diagnoses to provide excellent psychotherapy.
Diagnosis is more important when prescribing drugs. It’s also a highly inadequate shorthand to classify humans. We notice things groups of clients seem to have in common, and then create diagnoses, the majority quite subjective and soft compared to standard medical diagnoses.
When should a therapist show anger in a session?
BLOG When should a therapist show anger in a session? Here are a couple of times I have openly shown...