Posted by Wittgensteinz on December 1, 2008, at 12:31:09
In reply to Dealing with a blank slate T?, posted by Recently on December 1, 2008, at 0:54:52
As mentioned by Seldom, your Ts side-stepping the question as to her therapeutic orientation seems a little unusual. I think as a patient you have a right to know this information - afterall, you are paying for a service and you should know what that service is i.e. CBT, analytic, schema... this seems to be something that by necessity should be transparent - just as she has to tell you where to come and meet her and at what time!
I think the main thing is you talk it through with her - especially this similarity you see between her and your previous T. Perhaps this time you can get to the bottom of it and really express your concerns.
Disclosure is a difficult thing for therapists I think. The wrong piece of information at the wrong moment can really trigger a patient, yet holding-back can give the impression of being cold. I do notice that a couple of your questions ask for locations - where she studied, how long she's lived in the city, where she comes from - why is this do you think? Can these questions be broken down into more questions? i.e. what difference it would make to you whether she studied at X or Y. Perhaps you imagine she studied at the same place as you did, or that she has visited your home town, or a wish to help her settle into life in the city if she has newly moved here... etc. etc. - I mean to say that questions usually have a sub-text, a story/fantasy with underlying wishes/desires. A desire to help someone settle into life in the city might reflect a need to take on a role as caregiver... and so on and so on.
I think therapists also have the task of keeping the focus on the patient and not letting it shift to them. I imagine some of us are rather good at shifting the focus, perhaps as a form of resistance/avoidance.
I see an analyst. We've never discussed which school he went to, although he did tell me at the beginning what approach he has. He isn't a blank slate but he isn't overly forthcoming with personal information either. At times it might feel cold but in the long run it's something I really appreciate. I know what he tells me is important to me and my healing, and those questions he does not answer would not 'help me go further'.
Witti
poster:Wittgensteinz
thread:866019
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/psycho/20081120/msgs/866063.html