Posted by Dinah on October 8, 2009, at 4:55:17
In reply to Would your T answer this question?, posted by antigua3 on October 7, 2009, at 12:02:14
It's definitely a fair question, even a good one to ask.
I'm not entirely sure I trust my therapist not to censor himself.
The session we had recently about five words he would use to describe me also included my asking him how he would describe my issues, in some form or another. And it's a question I've asked him in many different ways over the years.
He says he's being totally honest with me. I still worry that he's holding back or choosing carefully how to express himself. Then I worry just as much that he isn't. That this really is all he sees.
In any case, it is an excellent question, and whether you totally trust the frankness of his answer or not, it may well help you learn something about yourself and yourself in his eyes. Which may not be precisely the same.
I like framing it as how would you describe it to a colleague. I wonder if I should ask that one to my therapist. He's intimated before that professional communications may be phrased in such a way that clients may feel needlessly hurt by the clinical tone. It would be interesting to hear what he'd say now.
But trust him not to censor himself, or at least think carefully *how* to say whatever he decides to say? That I don't think I could ever do. My therapist laughs and says that's who he is, and it's part of the package.
poster:Dinah
thread:920064
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/psycho/20090907/msgs/920162.html