Posted by Looney Tunes on December 21, 2008, at 0:27:58
In reply to Re: Is therapy just blowing smoke up our a*s?, posted by cal on December 18, 2008, at 6:17:37
Hello everyone and thanks for your responses to my original post. I have been reading them and trying to figure out how to respond. So, I will try here:
1) Transferance
I understand the role of this in our lives. But I also understand that T's do things to enhance it or make it more intense. I guess that these extreme feelings are true, but to me making the feelings more intense by "doing something" does not seem helpful to me, but more hurtful. For example, a T purposely forgetting to do something, so that a client reacts. Why bring those out with a purposeful act?2) Acceptance of clients
Witti and others who had no problem with a T "supporting" both a client who was abused and a client who is an abuser, I must still disagree on this, although I read with depth your responses. How can a T sit in a room and bare witness to the pain that an abused client experiences and say things regarding that the abuser was wrong, etc etc while in the another session, listen to the behaviors of an abuser? I am not saying we are all "good" but to me, it is the same as someone who wants claims to help protect the environment, but turns around and buys a Hummer. (And especially with sexual abusers because the recidivism rate is SO high)
While I agree that an abuser is only part abuser, but that ONE part, caused more pain to people than all my parts combined. And to have a T flip back and forth between working with me, an abused; and another client, an abuser; causes me a great deal of distress. I feel that it is a moral issue ~ help those that have been so hurt ot those that hurt. (And yes, I know most abusers have abused, but they made that choice; compared to choices others made to break the cycle of abuse)3) T's motives
Someone wrote about T's motives of needing the weekly paycheck. That's a true possibility. So is the motive of a T doing their job so they can "feel good about themselves" because (1) they see people who are worse off them they or (2) we, as clients "worship" them and need them so much.
I think these are valid issues.
And if a T is "taught" unconditional positive regard, then no matter who walks thru the door, they can use their skills to develop a relationship with that client. It is like a teacher with a class ~ even if they disliked a student, the teacher STILL has to teach that student.
So, because of this unconditional positive regard, we can never really be sure if our T's are real or if there are other motives behind them, or if they are just practicing unconditional positive regard.I hope that this has not upset anyone. I am truly dealing with these issues and thinking about them as I deal with my relationship with T. I am not sure what the answers are and there is probably not even a right answer...but just thoughts.....
poster:Looney Tunes
thread:869336
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/psycho/20081219/msgs/869967.html