Psychological Matters

Thought: ". . . be wary and wise as serpents, and be innocent (harmless, guileless, and without falsity) as doves." Matthew 10:16b Amplified Bible Before graduate school education is complete, every mental health clinician is required to understand and is tested on the ethical guidelines of treatment. Yet, despite such training, too often you hear on the news about therapists who have abused their power. What went wrong? The relationship between therapist and client is an unusual one in that the counselor is seen as the expert.  This leads to a relationship where most of the interpersonal power is on the therapist's side. As a result, there are opportunities for the misguided, dysfunctional, or damaged clinician to hurt clients.  Being aware of and alert to signs of treatment relationships gone wrong will enable you to protect yourself better should such a situation occur. Due to the unique type of relationship between therapist and client there are some basic g...

Thought: "let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance-" Proverbs 1:5 You have found a good therapist and finished your initial appointment. You felt that your presenting issues were defined; treatment goals were established. Now what? Moving from the initial interview into the actual treatment phase is often an awkward stage of therapy. Your counselor should help you with this transition by telling you what is expected. My counseling style is insight-oriented therapy. In the first session, I inform my new clients that in future sessions they will have the freedom to talk about whatever comes to their mind or is a concern to them. I have found that no matter the topic, whether upbeat and positive or discouraging, it reveals how clients feel about themselves and the world around them. As a result, I don't lead sessions into a particular direction. I usually start each session with an open-ended question, such as "how are you doing...

Thought: “Then little children were brought to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them.” Matthew 19:13a The initial session with a minor is different from an adult's session in a couple of ways. First, one or both parents need to accompany the minor to the appointment since in most states children under the age of 13 cannot legally consent to treatment. During this first appointment, the parent(s) will also be the main source of the child's history considering that there are many details that children don't know, such as, the parent's marital history, any unusual issues during the pregnancy, labor and delivery of this child, and the child's early developmental history. Obtaining consent and gathering history may occur in the child's presence or during a separate appointment. Either interviewing style is appropriate and varies among clinicians. Treatment circumstances will also determine the interviewing process. There are some instances when t...