zenda

Reminds me of a variant known as Zen Therapy.
Client lays on a couch and pours our h/er soul
Therapist says ... in a Sigmund-Freud Accent "Und Zen?"



Hi All
Thank you so much for your responses.

CarGuy: Yes! Your thread was the seed for this one. I'm glad things are moving forward in ways which look like they'll be good for all parties. Additionally, as a resource for people seeking counselling, I reckon it is inspiring, and that you've provided a demonstration of the wisdom of Ganon's words: You've approached all this in a timely fashion and your post also triggered a response in me which is relevant to your other thread, so I'll bump it, copy your post from here, and add my reply. Here, you've introduced two of three further ways this thread may open out.


1: Self help ... read books.
Alone, these may sometimes provide enough of what's needed to resolve the difficulty. Then again, they might resolve the difficulty but not some "underlying" or "outlying" issues, or, possibly, not resolve the difficulty itself; in which case reading them has a positive trouble-shooting step, a robust clarification of what might be needed when seeking outside assistance.

Consulting self-help books can be an important resource and I will start a thread: http://www.tfproject.org/tfp/tilted-...ml#post2868366 and cross link it with this one.

2: Talk with the person/people involved in what you're dealing with.
This can be a brilliant step. There are cases when the people involved putting their heads and hearts together is a resource. There are times when it IS the solution and thereafter, difficulties cease to become problems on account of their getting shared and dealt with. There are other cases when talking with the people involved means the 'problem-solving' becomes a shared activity but not solvable without outside help, in which case the seeking may become a shared project. In either case, early disclosure of concern and intent will reduce likelihood of the other party experiencing a sense of betrayal or sense of being locked-out of being part of the process. Warning: I'f you're in an environment of triple A A-holiness, or one of hot-cold sweet-psycho, then consider bypassing this route and go directly to seek outside assistance.

I will not start a thread about how, when and if to talk about challenging things whilst in a world where some find it difficult to listen. It seems to me that this Tilted Community has not only got this covered, but has been developing it as a core skill since the year dot.


2b: Talk with 'peer support groups.' .. again, inspired by CarGuy's post, but added by me: This has similar considerations to 1 and 2. This may the route to direct solution, however, if not, is a valid step for trouble-shooting, clarifying, and considering appropriate next steps.


3: How to be a chooseable psychotherapist/counsellor
Inspired by Noodles' emphasis on the consellor's role in choosing a client. Thanks, Noodles.

It is one of the foundations for my personal perspective. To be a chooseable psychotherapist/counsellor, requires that the practitioner develop a screening method which includes matching own discipline to what the client presents, and also should include developing a refined sense of one's own personal compatibility-skills, with the assistance of one's supervisor and own personal development-procedures. In practical terms: a counsellor who is well trained in stress-reduction, but who is not yet able to sit in a room with people who are going through full-on panic attacks may well have the precise skills needed, but is not yet ready to apply them with a steady hand in extreme situations.

To be chooseable, I include, how to be, as a professional, a resourceful part of the client's search for solution, regardless of whether s/he shall be the one to eventually work with them. I advise that counsellors and psychotherapists of any discipline become adept at the art of referral and of educating the client on 'how to seek' ... this may include general principles such as we are developing in this thread, and also specific advice based on the individual screening/initial interview.

One further consideration, for the attention of service-providers and clients alike: The message "I'm Sorry ..... I Can't Work With You" is one which neither actually WANT to deliver or receive! To the client who has likely already suffered, tried and failed to resolve the problem, the therapist's message "I, with my specific training and experience, am not yet qualified to work with you," can sound like "I CAN'T BE HELPED." To service providers, I say that how to deliver that message alone, is worthy of a two day extended training seminar. To those seeking a provider, I say the more clear and direct you are in interviewing them, the better they will come to know whether they are ready for you, and if they say no, it will partly be because you have been respectfully insisting on a service which will suit you best. The intent of this thread is to resource you as you do that.

Best wishes

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ZENDA