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Originally Posted by wotchermuggle
This is not typical across all therapists. This is often true in DBT therapy, but is NOT reflective of all types of therapy
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From the Oxford Textbook of Suicidology and Suicide Prevention:
"Intense countertransference reactions often occur during the treatment of suicidal patients. Lack of awareness of countertransference reactions of malice and aversion may be suicide-inviting."
Suicide is probably the most provocative reaction, and elicits either distancing or aggressive feelings in response in the therapist. There are far more suicide attempts than completed suicides, and they can be seen as a cry for help (or a demand for more attention, ultimately.) Therapists are caught in a double bind, if they reward suicidal ideation with extra attention, because doing so will only increase that behavior in the client.
To guard against this, many therapists will react strongly to suicidal ideation, particularly where its occured before.
It should be mentioned that the majority of therapists today use non-transferential techniques, like CBT, and have much less practice in detecting countertransference, and if you can't detect it, the feelings evoked will shape therapy. Although its part of the curriculum, theory alone is insufficient to teach something as experential as transference.
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My God. You admit you're struggling and the response by the therapist is to distance themselves? Tell me how that is helpful?? Even for borderline patients, I think there is a better way to handle the situation.
Where is the incentive to be honest if this were to happen? Therapy should be a safe place to share ANYTHING.
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I'm not saying its a good thing or how it should be. Just talking about reality.
The reason why so many BPD clients get pushed into DBT is precisely because the countertransference can be too strong for "regular therapy." DBT has just formalized what the natural instinct of the therapist based on countertransference to do; to not reward self-harm, actual or imagined.