Posted by Recently on December 1, 2008, at 20:22:48
In reply to Re: Dealing with a blank slate T? » Recently, posted by lucie lu on December 1, 2008, at 18:55:20
> It also seems unusual to me, and frankly not quite fair if you want to put it in those terms, for your T to not openly disclose her training and orientation. As twinleaf notes, you are paying her for a professional service and you should understand at least in general terms what her treatment plan is for you. You could be spending thousands of dollars on her, would you accept less than full disclosure from any other professional you'd hire, especially for that amount of money and time? While I believe that psychotherapy is both a skill and an art, it stops short of mysticism. To explain the essentials of how she would approach your problems is neither black magic nor rocket science, and IMHO she should provide an adequate and satisfying explanation to you. I do not feel this information falls under the "self-disclosure" category, which is more variable among practitioners and disciplines.
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> Another consideration is whether her approach is a good match for your needs. It has been well documented, for example, that the outcome for clients/patients with trauma backgrounds is frequently poor with "blank slate" therapists. But such therapists may be very appropriate for other groups - that's how the technique got started, after all, it worked well for some patients/clients.
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> Good luck,
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> LucieYou hit the nail on the head. What bothered me about her reaction to my question about her education was that it seemed to me that I was asking about a professional credential, and not something personal.
However I must admit I never asked what her theoretical orientation was. I definitely should have done this in the first session. I'm going into my 2nd month here now. However, to be honest, I don't know if just from descriptions alone, I would know what orientation was best for me... I mean, I know the therapy I'm in now is not CBT. If it's psychodynamic, feminist, relational... I don't really know. Even though I was in therapy for many years, it's been so long, I feel like an absolute beginner! I guess I have a lot to talk about tomorrow, in addition to my usual 'big' stuff. :-/
Recently
poster:Recently
thread:866019
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/psycho/20081120/msgs/866174.html