D.S. says: "It’s sad about the tumor; that does not mean that clients need to be burdened with another crises that is not a part of her or his life." What is the "ethical" way for a therapist to tell a client that he/she must miss or post-pone sessions? Does this mean a therapist's life should always remain a "black book" to his/her clients? Never divulge anything personal? Is it possible that a client who obsesses over knowing about his/her therapist's husband's illness would worry and be upset about not being told the circumstances surrounding canceling sessions? Perhaps such a client would conclude that he/she (that is, the client) had done something to make the therapist angry and is being punished? Might not such a situation be worse than telling the truth briefly and without fanfare? Or is withholding information about the circumstances in such a case "the lesser of two evils"? We don't know how the therapist revealed this information or in what depth. How can you conclude from a fragmentary report from only one point of view (the client's) that the therapist was unethcial and that the client ought to seek a different therapist? (I admit that if the full circumstances were known, that might very well be the the conclusion I too would dreaw. However, I propose that we can't know that from what we were told here.) Dr. Reid, you posted a reply in which you said you agree with D.S. that the therapist acted unethically (if not, explain what it was that you agreed with). I think this is a violation of your oft-repeated principle that posters on this list should ask clients who raise questions about their therapy to talk about the concern with their therapist. That is what the Puter Tech did in the first reply. To the client, clearly this has bothered you a great deal. Since you know more of the facts (and this is not a request for you to share them on this forum), you must decide whether your best course of action is to discuss your feelings with your therapist or to find another therapist. I appreciate D.S.'s observation that seeking a different therapist is a viable option. It is not your only option. In some approaches to therapy the client is encouraged to use the therapist/client relationship as a model to learn how to deal with similar circumstances in the "real world." In such cases the clients are encouraged to view their therapists as human beings subject to the same issues and concerns as the clients themselves, not as robots or superheros. In the best case, the therapist has learned how to deal with "real life" concerns and can help the client do the same.
Replies:
| Behavior OnLine Home Page | Disclaimer |
Copyright © 1996-2004 Behavior OnLine, Inc. All rights reserved.