Being a therapist is an amazing profession full of challenges, heartaches, and celebration. We see you at your worst and see you at your best, but there is no better reward than to see you succeed. Here are 10 aspects of the therapeutic relationship that are either unknowns or common misconceptions.
1. I don’t think you’re crazy or broken.
I think you are amazingly unique and trying to find your way in the world. None of us is perfect and I don’t expect you to be anywhere close to mastery when you're learning new skills to change your life. Effective change requires trial and lots of errors.
2. Trust is everything.
Your ability to connect with me will be the number one factor determining how well we work together. If you don’t feel like you click with me after a few sessions, it’s OK to let me know and seek out a different therapist.
3. My job is not to psychoanalyze you.
My job is to help you gain more insight and understanding. We will form hypotheses together and you will come to your own conclusions. A therapist facilitates that process.
4. I’m not here to give you advice.
I’m here to share my knowledge with you and help you make your own decisions that are balanced, rational, and well-explored. Strengthening your own reasoning and decision-making skills will increase your independence and self-esteem.
5. Work through your emotions with me instead of quitting, anger included.
Therapy is the place to learn how to express your feelings. That’s what I’m here for, to give you a safe space to try out new ways of being, thinking, and feeling.
6. I expect you to slide backward to old behavior patterns.
It’s only through acknowledging your steps backward that we can figure out what’s standing in the way so that you can catapult forward.
7. You deserve to be happy.
Everyone has regrets, things we wish we never would have done, people we’ve hurt along the way, people who have hurt us either intentionally or unintentionally. We can heal our wounds and step into happiness. You deserve it just as much as the next person.
8. I can’t “fix” your life or your problems. Only you can.
I can help you gain more clarity, more understanding, and form a plan of action, but therapy is not a magic pill that erases all issues. It takes work, but if you’re up for the challenge, I’ll be there every step of the way.
9. The quickest way from point A to point B is action.
If you continue to come to therapy without putting any new behaviors or thoughts into action, progress will be a slow process for you. The path to action is different for everyone, but if you never do anything different, you’ll never get a different result. You’re the only one who can decide to take action. You hold all the power.
10. I want you to have the life you want.
I know your struggles, your dreams, your insecurities. There is nothing I want more for you than for you to bring your dreams into reality, push through your fears, and have the life you want.
Therapy isn’t always easy, but I think it's the most worthwhile gift you can give yourself. Take your first step today and explore the possibilities.
This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.
The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?
