Posted by JennyR on June 21, 2001, at 22:40:59
In reply to How familiar should one be with pdoc?, posted by Cass on June 21, 2001, at 16:13:07
I've felt what you describe. But the main thing with therapy is, it's Your therapy. And you don't help yourself by holding back. You just end up not dealing with something that it might be helpful to deal with. I'm crazy about my therapist and was reluctant to tell things I'm ashamed of, afraid of what he would think. But a good therapist will just help you understand your behaviors and the underlying feelings. They don't judge you. And the more embarrassed or ashamed I've been, the more he's supported me.
I think that's the issue here, your fear of being judged, rather than how familiar should he be with you. He shouldn't be telling you much personal stuff, it's just not professional, and the more of the "blank screen" they are, the better for you revealing yourself. The blank screen thing doesn't mean cold, they can be warm and supportive and keep the focus solely on you.
If we think our therapist is wonderful, we want them to think we're wonderful. But censoring ourselves in therapy so they'll like us more or we make ourselve think they'll like us more is just shooting ourselves in the foot.
poster:JennyR
thread:6616
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20010611/msgs/6638.html