Posted by Dinah on August 15, 2010, at 12:11:16
In reply to Re: It's really over and miss my t so much :-(, posted by emmanuel98 on August 13, 2010, at 22:00:18
I don't think it needs to be coddling to recognize that a client is trying to communicate something in the best way they know how.
While I admit they have little choice in accepting a client's termination request, I think the best of therapists use the experience to model more mature ways of responding. And helping the client see that the way they are trying to convey their feelings is not the best way for the recipient to receive them.
Clients, like therapists, ideally do their best. The best of therapists is ideally more healthy than that of clients, or why would they be clients?
I think it's possible to respond maturely, while still being caring.
I think my therapist did an ideal job of that this last time. He accepted my canceling of sessions (not quite a termination). But he also recognized that I was angry and frustrated, and that he hadn't responded to what I was saying in the previous session. He did it all with a sense of humor that left me not too embarrassed, and gave us a chance to talk about it.
My therapist isn't always wonderful, but he can be pretty terrific at times like that, while not being a bit babying or coddling. He says everything he knows about terminations, he learned from me. :D
poster:Dinah
thread:958501
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/psycho/20100706/msgs/958676.html