Should a psychodynamic therapist hold back, reveal very little, refrain from offering reassurance and provide little validation? Must a client endure the painful reenactment, in order to heal the oldest wounds?
Maybe if the client enjoys being tortured.
Even then, not a good idea. Some clients self harm. Doesn't mean the therapist should encourag...
Does your family and friends know about severity of your mental health problems? How to explain to them your struggels if all the time you were trying to hide the depth of your problems to everyone even to therapist?
I’m taking it slowly as far as telling friends and family about my mental health problems and the extent to which they have shaped my lif...
If we end our psychodynamic psychotherapy prematurely, is our therapist permitted to show sadness? The client/patient might wish for some display. Should a therapist’s personal feelings remain hidden, even then?
I think this is one of those questions where the answer is so client dependent that there isn’t one right answer. I’ll answer it for myse...
If we cannot fully internalize the psychotherapeutic relationship, even though we love our therapist, should we step away? Or, is this reason enough for remaining in therapy indefinitely?
It doesn’t necessarily have to be either one of those scenarios. The best place to begin is by sharing your concerns with your therapist....
Can we be fixated on changing our therapist, all while enjoying normal and healthy relationships outside of therapy? Is this near obsession likely the maternal transference, or something else?
If you are feeling fixated on changing your therapist, then I would recommend you speak to your therapist about that. There is something ...
What are your thoughts if your psychodynamic therapist says “we could be great friends”? I assume he means if circumstances were different. I realize it will never actually happen. He has always been appropriate so I’m not concerned about that.
Since we humans are relational creatures the point of therapy is to help us have better relationships. We usually enter therapy having su...
In therapy, how should we begin the mourning process for the death of a parent? The relationship was a most difficult one. We dread unearthing a slew of complex emotions.
I don’t think there is a right or wrong way to approach this in therapy. I think you work with whatever is coming up in a given session.
...
For long-term therapy clients/patients, those working solely with one therapist, would you consider ending this alliance? In what circumstances might you begin a new therapeutic relationship?
I’m not currently entertaining any thoughts about ending my therapeutic alliance but it has been discussed between us fairly recently.
Wh...
My therapist asked me to imagine my emotionally neglectful father being everything I needed him to be in order for me to heal. I can’t do this. Is this necessary for me to heal or can I try something else? I feel like don’t need a fairytale!
I want to help you take a step or two back from this situation and look at it from a certain perspective that I think might be helpful to...
Is it possible that a therapist (unconsciously) reacts bad to the fact that he knows that a client is going to be a therapist too (this client = me and I never talk like a "no-it-all" - I obviously don't..)?
It’s certainly possible in the sense that anything like that is possible when there are humans involved!
Assuming that you are working wi...
For any client who writes in the various therapy spaces on Quora, do you ever feel like the time might be better spent working on your own therapy? I won't be coy, I sometimes do.
This is my way of working on my own therapy!
When I've gained a lot of insight and achieved a lot of growth in between sessions from shar...
Is there any kind of therapy that incorporates counselling with touch? I’m desperately touch-starved and need more than my psychologist can offer. I need some kind of therapy where I can be hugged or at least have my hand held.
I did not think there was, and would be inclined to point out the problems associated with things like hugs and other forms of touch in t...
My therapist said that I "look for love in men to replace the lack of love from my parents" when I didn't tell them anything about men that I date or see. How rude is this? It was distracting and clearly wrong.
I read through the other answers along with your comments.
It sounds like the therapist you've been with is really not a good fit for you...
Would it be rude to ask a psychotherapist if they’re vaccinated? Clearly their medical info is not your business, & they could choose not to answer, but what if you didn’t want to be in close quarters with an unvaccinated person if you could help it?
You can ask anything you want in therapy. The therapist can answer as she feels comfortable, same with any other request for self disclos...
What is the best way to ask my therapist for a hug? He allows hugs but im not sure if its just for upset clients or if he does end of session hugs. I do not know how to word it without feel shamed and needy for asking.
It sounds like there is a lot to talk about and explore here. More than just a simple yes/no question.
My advice is that before you and y...
Should I text my therapist? She has a new office and I could hear everything the prior client said. I didn’t tell her at the time. She’s on vacation, returning Monday. Should I text her Sunday so she has time to set up white noise for Monday?
Most definitely! Therapists are responsible for maintaining their clients’ confidentiality so would love to know when anything is going o...
Those of you who have read and/or contributed to the therapy diary, how has it impacted your own therapy experience and your feelings about it, positively or negatively?
Reading and contributing to the therapy diary has definitely had a positive impact on my therapy experience. First, along with all the ot...