A Therapist Should Be Honest With You About His/Her Qualifications

MainerMikeBrown said:

Years ago, I was having lots of issues with anxieties. Hence, I decided to see a therapist so I could learn how to cope.

It was clear to me quickly that this was a counselor that was a good fit for me. She had a lot of advice to give and gave what I felt was good advice.

But as we started working together, she was honest with me about the fact that, at the time, she didn't have much experience as a psychotherapist. She also told me that she had a lot to learn, and that many more experienced therapists were better at it than she was.

When she told me this, she wasn't exactly overwhelming me with confidence.

However, I think it was good that she was honest with me about her qualifications. I had the right to know, after all.

If you decide to work with a new therapist, I think they should be honest with you about their qualifications, especially if you ask them what their qualifications are. You have the right to know. After all, you deserve the best possible treatment.

As for this therapist, despite the fact that she was new to her profession back then, I found her to be quite good at it.

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Cuchculan said:

I once had a therapist that I did like so much. Kind of amusing but true story. I didn't feel much like talking some visits. My trick? I would begin to talk as if I had lots to say. Then I would slip a question in there. As if it was in the flow of me talking. But it was me asking something about her. She would answer. To begin with she had no idea what she was doing. That she was telling me more than she should. I just had this way of guiding the conversation away from myself and towards her. It took her about 5 weeks to cop onto what I was doing. By then I knew about her husband and her family in general. She just stopped one day and said ' you are making me do all the talking '. Then she smiled and said ' this has been your plan from day 1 '. How did she feel about this. I think about silly that it took her 5 weeks to cop onto things. But she called me intelligent for been able to do what I done without her copping it for so long. She seriously had a good laugh over it. The way I masked what I was doing. I would talk about me. Just drop the odd comment in there that I was guessing would get her talking. Then I sat back and listened. Saying a few words here and there. Which would prolong her talking. To even find out what her husband did for a living. Who really needs to know that? If I am to be honest, I did it because I could. The book she mainly worked from I saw on day 1 on a shelf behind her. I went out and bought a copy of the book. Part of the plan. She would be telling me things from the book and I would follow on talking about the same things. I was getting looks as if to say ' can you read my mind '. I did own up to buying the book as well. Not the worst thing in the world. She just found it so clever that the tide was turned on her and she had no idea how much she was actually telling me. We did get on great. I did conitinue to visit here till we ran out of things to talk about.

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