Posted by Toby on August 13, 1998, at 15:05:00
In reply to Re: romantic transference, posted by Toby on August 13, 1998, at 11:24:40
> Your therapist cannot return your romantic feelings: for one thing it is against the law and the ethics of therapists to do so and for another, returning romantic feelings would make him an ineffective therapist -- he can't satisfy all the romantic feelings of all his patients and if he did, that would keep all those patients trapped in the same pattern of unhealthy abusive relationships that they started out in.
One other thing: when you tell your therapist about your feelings, if he doesn't respond in a professional manner and in any way DOES try to engage in a romantic relationship with you, please do not continue in therapy with him. Go to another therapist and talk about it. A therapist should be reported to his governing ethics committee (the APA, etc) for violations of that type, but you don't need to make that kind of decision alone and without the support of a good therapist. Hopefully none of the above will occur. Good luck again.
poster:Toby
thread:247
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/19980801/msgs/297.html