Posted by gardenergirl on June 24, 2006, at 15:41:31
In reply to how? » gardenergirl, posted by ElaineM on June 24, 2006, at 9:57:55
> GG, What you said is like what the first reception guy said. What is his professional board? Do you know how I check that?
Nearly all professional therapists and counselors in nearly every state are required to be licsensed or at minimum registered with a State Board for their profession. If you feel comfortable with this, you could email me (or Babblemail me but you'll need to turn on Babblemail for me to reply that way) what state you are in and what your T's credentials are (i.e. clinical psychologist, licensed clinical social worker, marriage and family therapist, etc.) I can then find the contact information for his state professional board and pass that along to you. They should, at a minimum, be able to verify that he is legally allowed to treat patients and should also be able to tell you if he has had any sanctions.
And about your T opening up and telling you so much about himself. I can definitely relate to how gratifying it can feel to feel that someone trusts you enough to open up so much. But that is NOT what therapy is about. It's not what your therapy should be about, and your T should know this. What you describe about his disclosures are exactly what a T for HIM would be for. And I strongly disagree with his statement that friendship is therapy. That's certainly not what I have been working so hard at school to learn how to do! ;) And while it can be helpful and even therapeutic to talk to a trusted friend, therapy relationships and friendships are different types of relationships with different kinds of boundaries, different expectations, and different functions. It's perfectly normal for a T to feel friendly towards a client. However, when a T treats a client like a friend, then the T's needs come into the room. This can and does interfere with the therapy to the extent that it can not only make progress slow down or stop, but can also lead to regression and psychological damage.
Sorry to bang my drum so loudly. I get riled up and feel distressed when I read about situations such as you describe.
Let me know if you want me to look up the board for you. You can find my email in the FAQ http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/faq.html#deputies
Take care,
gg
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> I am going to talk to another woman, but I only want to do it to help myself. Not get him in trouble. So I'm going to see what she says about that.
>
> Part of what I've found confusing is that he has said that friendship IS therapy, and that it would help me change and get better more than anything else would. But reading other's experiences here has me questioning this. Alot. It is hard, there is what I feel deep inside (which changes), and there is what you all are saying. And I trust both (if that makes sense).
>
> EL
poster:gardenergirl
thread:660687
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/psycho/20060623/msgs/661020.html