Being a therapist can be 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 to see you succeed. Here are 10 aspects of the therapeutic
relationship that are either unknowns or common misconceptions. I hope this
clarifies what you can expect from working with a therapist.
1. I don’t think you’re crazy.
and celebration. We see you at your worst and see you at your best, but there
is no better reward to see you succeed. Here are 10 aspects of the therapeutic
relationship that are either unknowns or common misconceptions. I hope this
clarifies what you can expect from working with a therapist.
1. I don’t think you’re crazy.
I think you are amazingly unique trying to find your way in
the world. None of us is perfect and I surely don’t expect you to be anywhere
close to mastery when you're learning new skills to change your life. Effective
change usually requires trial and lots of errors. It means you’re trying!
Plus, if I think you’re being irrational, I’ll tell you.
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. We all need different things and my main priority is for you to
achieve your goals.
3. My job is not to psychoanalyze you.
My job is to be curious and to help you gain more
understanding. A good therapist doesn’t claim to have all the answers for why
you are the way you are although we may have some ideas that we will willingly
share with you. When it comes to getting answers and more understanding, we
will form hypotheses together and you will come to your own conclusions. A
therapist facilitates that process. They don’t tell you how to
think/believe/act.
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. Win-win!
5. Work through your emotions with me instead of quitting, anger
included.
Therapy is the perfect place to learn how to express your
feelings. That’s what I’m here for, to give you a space to try out new ways of
being, thinking, and feeling. Take advantage of this. When we learn how to
work through our negative emotions with others, it increases our relationship
skills and makes us more comfortable with voicing our hurts. This is a
necessary component to maintaining relationships and managing your emotions in a
healthy way.
6. I expect you to slide backward to old behavior patterns and I’m
not here to judge you.
Most people judge themselves enough for at least two people. I encourage my clients to come clean.
It’s only through acknowledging our steps backward that we can figure out what’s standing in the way
so that you can catapult forward. Relapse is VERY common and it’s nothing to be ashamed of.
7. You deserve to be happy.
Happiness is not reserved for special people. 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. I’m a firm
believer that 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. Your success is
the ultimate gift to a therapist!
People come to therapy for all kinds of reasons. Usually people are
experiencing a moderate level of discomfort in their lives and have noticed a
toll on their work/school performance and in their relationships. Beginning
therapy can be scary for some as they are showing a willingness to face tough
topics, but for others, it's a huge relief to finally be taking action to move
in a different direction.
Therapy isn’t always easy, but I think it's the most worthwhile gift you
can give yourself. Find someone you trust and who puts you at ease. The
relationship you build with your therapist is the most important aspect of
all.
Call or email Bree today to start your therapeutic journey.
the world. None of us is perfect and I surely don’t expect you to be anywhere
close to mastery when you're learning new skills to change your life. Effective
change usually requires trial and lots of errors. It means you’re trying!
Plus, if I think you’re being irrational, I’ll tell you.
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. We all need different things and my main priority is for you to
achieve your goals.
3. My job is not to psychoanalyze you.
My job is to be curious and to help you gain more
understanding. A good therapist doesn’t claim to have all the answers for why
you are the way you are although we may have some ideas that we will willingly
share with you. When it comes to getting answers and more understanding, we
will form hypotheses together and you will come to your own conclusions. A
therapist facilitates that process. They don’t tell you how to
think/believe/act.
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. Win-win!
5. Work through your emotions with me instead of quitting, anger
included.
Therapy is the perfect place to learn how to express your
feelings. That’s what I’m here for, to give you a space to try out new ways of
being, thinking, and feeling. Take advantage of this. When we learn how to
work through our negative emotions with others, it increases our relationship
skills and makes us more comfortable with voicing our hurts. This is a
necessary component to maintaining relationships and managing your emotions in a
healthy way.
6. I expect you to slide backward to old behavior patterns and I’m
not here to judge you.
Most people judge themselves enough for at least two people. I encourage my clients to come clean.
It’s only through acknowledging our steps backward that we can figure out what’s standing in the way
so that you can catapult forward. Relapse is VERY common and it’s nothing to be ashamed of.
7. You deserve to be happy.
Happiness is not reserved for special people. 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. I’m a firm
believer that 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. Your success is
the ultimate gift to a therapist!
People come to therapy for all kinds of reasons. Usually people are
experiencing a moderate level of discomfort in their lives and have noticed a
toll on their work/school performance and in their relationships. Beginning
therapy can be scary for some as they are showing a willingness to face tough
topics, but for others, it's a huge relief to finally be taking action to move
in a different direction.
Therapy isn’t always easy, but I think it's the most worthwhile gift you
can give yourself. Find someone you trust and who puts you at ease. The
relationship you build with your therapist is the most important aspect of
all.
Call or email Bree today to start your therapeutic journey.
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