Quote:
Originally Posted by stopdog
I work with clients who can act out. They hit things, shout and sometimes even throw chairs at me (mental health clients and criminal defense clients). I have never really been afraid of a client - even those who were trying to be intimidating. I was once threatened by a client's family and that was a bit unsettling, but I still represented the guy.
I just think one needs to butch up a bit if one is going to be a therapist (or attorney), or as another poster said - work for only those with dental phobias. Frankly the description from the OP just did not sound like a big deal to me - not particularly violent or threatening at all.
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I think the t is halting treatment because the client threatened to sue. He took advantage of her trying to repair the rupture by "admitting her mistake" - in which she was taking partial responsibility for the misunderstanding as hers, hoping he would follow her example and then see his part in the misunderstanding, as he somewhat seems to have here - and instead he becomes the bullying parent, wanting to join forces with the supervisor against the t. The supervisor is an extra pair of eyes and ears, not a judge or warden. And definitely not a punitive parent.
So between the threat to sue, wanting to call the supervisor, and pounding the table, the client pretty much guaranteed he wont have to feel dependent again anytime soon. I agree with stopdog, the t should butch up and call him on his b.s. Otherwise she is just playing into his defenses. Or maybe thats why he picked s female t, he wanted one he could intimidate. If he is truly interested in continuing, he needs to remember where he is now, this feeling of being bullied and bullying back in response, in response to a "mistake", and start up with a new t there, one who is gentle but who wont be intimidated.