Posted by Elizabeth on May 13, 2000, at 15:38:02
In reply to Re: Regarding: Suggestion for Dr. Bob, posted by Cindy W on May 13, 2000, at 10:11:04
> Hope this is not posted twice...the first one went into "cyberair!" IMHO, as a psychologist, it is not appropriate for a therapist to reveal his/her problems to clients. At least some clients need to see the therapist as largerthanlife, at least at first, and therapy is a place for the client to reveal his/her problems, not for the therapist to dump on the client. So I don't tell clients about my depression or OCD. I would expect that Dr. Bob would not self-disclose extensively about personal problems either; it detracts from the therapeutic alliance.
But Cindy, this isn't therapy! Or at least, it isn't supposed to be. We are not patients (or as you say, clients) here.
Personally I wonder if the *idea* that "clients need to see the therapist as larger than life" isn't a bit of wishful thinking on the part of some therapists. ;-) Personally, I think the most effective therapeutic alliance is an alliance of equal partners, not of an "authority figure" and a subordinate. By trying to appear superhuman, a therapist places unnecessary pressure on herself, as well as distorting the patient's concept of reality and his relationship with the therapist.
There's a difference between "dumping" on a patient and simply not trying to deceive him. IMHO, it should be possible for any reasonably experienced therapist to find a balance between the extremes of total deception and total lack of boundaries.
poster:Elizabeth
thread:33211
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20000508/msgs/33382.html