Posted by Dinah on January 6, 2012, at 20:37:52
My session today was all over the place, as I was *extremely* tired after a few late nights (or early mornings) working. I couldn't focus well, and he saw how tired I was, so he didn't press.
One of the things we discussed was this article on the Ideal Client.
http://blogs.psychcentral.com/private-practice/2011/08/who-is-your-ideal-client/
I told my therapist this is the sort of thing I read when I want to be angry with him. Along with the book "Shrink Rap". That perhaps the internal thought processes of therapists isn't something I should know.
He didn't say much (smart man) about his ideal client. He did say that I actually did meet his guidelines for ideal client. I said something cynical about a long term income stream, and he responded something along the lines of honesty being very important to him in a therapeutic relationship. He said he appreciated the fact that I was honest to a fault - to the point that I'll admit when I felt I needed to not tell the truth.
He also said that willingness to work was important to him. I pointed out that by standard measures, I'd probably flunk that one. He said that it did take him a while, but he eventually did figure out that I was working hard in my own way. And that I actually did listen to him, even if I rejected much of what he said the first time he said it. He said it was a good sign when a client began to internalize the therapist. And that he knows that I began having conversations with my internal T a while back. (And that the internal T may indeed be better than the external one. Or at least, he added, he never falls asleep while talking with me.)
Then he pointedly changed the topic to my work. I was too tired to ask if he thought I'd gotten off track in session, or if he thought there was something in what we were talking about that I'd get upset about later. Internal T could go either way. And of course external T won't remember the conversation by our next session. :)
I still don't like the idea of an "ideal client". An ideal therapist is a much more congenial topic of conversation.
poster:Dinah
thread:1006540
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/psycho/20111220/msgs/1006540.html