Quotes on Therapy

[Daniel E.]

“The practice of psychotherapy does not concern itself with the moral, religious, or personal positions of the clinician. Those aspects of being are for the clinician’s own therapy. When a clinician allows personal beliefs to drive therapeutic decision-making, we question overall competence, no matter the content of the beliefs.”

~ Angela Kahn, MFT

 

[Daniel E.]

Site Retired

“Finding the right fit in a therapist is a lot like dating. You want someone who understands you, who you connect with, who you feel comfortable opening up to and who understands what you want in life and therapy. It’s about matching both the style of therapy to what your particular issue or need is, while also matching personalities.”

~ Heather Stevenson

 

[Daniel E.]

The recipe for truly great counseling - Counseling Today

No matter where they are in their professional journeys, counselors can still benefit by learning from their colleagues’ experiences and reflections.

ct.counseling.org

"The client sets the pace of therapeutic change; the counselor needs to create the environment, structure the treatment and allow for clients to pursue natural change opportunities at a self-determined pace."

 

[Daniel E.]

15 Reasons Why Some People Don’t Find Therapy Helpful

Don't believe in therapy? This may be why.

www.anxietycentre.com

"Unrealistic expectations are a common cause of disappointment with therapy. Unrealistic expectations are also a common behavior associated with anxiety disorder."

 

[Daniel E.]

“Our true identity is a process, not a substantive thing. Thus we are continually changing. The effort to remain unchanging is crippling and results in a smaller life.”

“The gift above all others that my clients have given me is the conviction that there is always more; that courage, persistence, and determination can always open possibilities where none has seemed to exist.”

“Truly life-changing psychotherapy is–and needs to be–a live engagement between two people struggling with each other and with the forces in both that deny life, restrict awareness, and limit growth. It is messy, its borders are unclear and often shifting, and its processes are continually evolving.”

~ James F. T. Bugental, Intimate Journeys (1990)

 

[Daniel E.]

"As a client it’s super important not to feel any pressure of having to be a certain way in therapy. As a client all you gotta do is show up and be the real you. The whole idea of therapy is to explore yourself and figure yourself out. You don’t have to perform for the therapist. They are there for you. You are paying them. We tend to idolize our therapists and feel like we have to do things for them. You hired them. Don’t ever forget that!"

~ Jenna Clarks

 

[Daniel E.]

How To Give Feedback to Your Therapist

National Psychotherapy Day invites you to give feedback to your therapist. After all, you are your therapist’s boss.

www.psychologytoday.com

"Therapists don't solicit feedback because they weren't taught how, they're afraid it will take away from the client's time, or they're concerned about what they'll hear."

"Clients ultimately come to therapy to resolve their issues, not to improve their therapist. But the feedback may help clients reach their goals faster, and even the process of giving feedback can be enlightening."

"I believe the feedback loop is essential to tailor the work to the client's personality and issues, but don't just take my word for it. Research has shown that client feedback improves the therapist’s ability to help their clients. Not a paltry amount, either, more like three to four times better treatment outcomes."

~ Ryan Howes PhD, ABPP

 

[Daniel E.]

https://www.psychiatryadvisor.com/home/topics/mood-disorders/depressive-disorder/challenging-stigma-should-psychiatrists-disclose-their-own-mental-illness/

“Silence and shame on the part of clinicians, teachers, and researchers perpetuates stigma. If we cannot even acknowledge our own sources of interest and inspiration to enter this field or our own vulnerabilities, how can we accept corresponding experiences in our patients and encourage them to challenge stigma in their lives?”

~ Stephen Hinshaw, PhD

 

[Daniel E.]

Q&A: A Yale Psychologist Calls for Radical Change in Therapy | TIME.com

(Updated) Is individual therapy overrated and outdated? In many ways, says Alan Kazdin, a professor of psychology and child psychiatry at Yale University, writing in the leading journal Perspectives on Psychological Science.

healthland.time.com

"The quality of the relationship [between therapist and patient] relates to how social the patient was before treatment. It may be correlated to effectiveness of treatment, but the relationship has not shown to be causally involved."

~ Alan Kazdin, PhD (2011)

 

[Daniel E.]

How to Cope When Your Therapist Goes on Vacation

How to Cope When Your Therapist Goes on Vacation August 1, 2006 With the start of August, many people are planning vacations, including many psychotherapists who'll shutter their offices and leave their patients to fend for themselves. For decades, mental-health professionals have been...

forum.psychlinks.ca

"I believe it's more than a 50-minute-a-week relationship."

~ Nina Danielson, MSW, author of What To Do When Your Therapist Isn't There

 

[David Baxter PhD]

Have you seen What About Bob?

 

[Daniel E.]

Haha Yes, a number of times -- years ago



My favorite part is the death therapy scene with the dynamite (where Bob's therapist is trying to kill him, but Bob thinks it is just acting):

 

[Daniel E.]

 

[Daniel E.]

What life lesson(s) have you, as a therapist or psychologist, learned from your client(s)?

Jonathan Schnapp's answer: There are so many. I’m very frequently awed with the clients who’ve privileged me by allowing me to work with them. So many incredible people. Here are some things I’ve learned: 1. What we can accomplish is limited by the stories we’ve been told about ourselves, becomi...

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"Significant growth and change often starts with a period of feeling lost and overwhelmed."

 

[Daniel E.]

"As a profession, we [therapists] are trained not to take responsbility for our patients."

"If your patient drops out of treatment, whose fault is that?"

"It's like a pass-the-buck kind of thing."

~ Alok Kanojia, MD, MPH, founder of Healthy Gamer

 

[Daniel E.]

"Knowledge is just a rumor until it’s in the muscle."

~ New Guinea Proverb

 

[Daniel E.]

The Difference Between Coaching and Therapy Is Greatly Overstated

Coaches go to great lengths to distinguish what they do from psychotherapy.

www.psychologytoday.com

Clients who seek help from coaches or therapists want to get better...are held back by maladaptive expectations, beliefs, and emotions that derive from both their current and past realities...The job of a therapist or coach is to figure out how to get on their clients' "side" in the latter's attempts to overcome these irrational feelings and beliefs.

 

[Daniel E.]

"As an adult, it is more important to hold on to yourself than to hold on to anyone or anything else. Do not let go of yourself."

~ Nina Danielson, MSW, What To Do When Your Therapist Isn't There

 

[Daniel E.]

 

[Daniel E.]