Quote:
Originally Posted by chumchum
Moon,
Do you think that clients have a hard time expressing their feelings towards their Ts due to embarrassment? Would a T be so inclined to address it if they thought the transference was becoming out of control? I am assuming most Ts can sense when a client has 'fallen' for them and it is then the big, white elephant in the room, so to speak. Should it only be brought up by the client or would it help if the T brought some clarity to their client's feelings of 'love'? This question has plagued me for some time, lol. I feel like he can see right through me.  |
Hello chumchum
I'm afraid I can't speak for other therapists but I know that those who work relationally will expect it and understand it. We will listen for it and speak the transference, drawing it onto ourselves, bringing the experiences the client describes 'out there' into the room. We see it as a good thing, not a bad thing to be discouraged. For example, if a client tells me how attached she feels to a friend but she is afraid she will be let down, I will understand that she is trying to tell me how afraid she is of feeling attached to me and might say something like 'perhaps you are becoming attached to me and are afraid whether or not that is ok?' This enables us to open a dialogue where feelings can be understood and expressed. The client then learns that it's ok to 'say it' rather than being afraid or embarassed. The stuff that isn't spoken will build and build and become more and more scary - if it can be spoken the painful and powerful fantasies will lessen. Not all therapists work transferentially, which for a client who needs to do that can be very painful. I will bring clarity by explaining things, much as I do here - when the client understands the process it can ease some of the fear so they aren't so afraid to speak the difficult bits.
Hope that helps
Moon
