Quote:
Originally Posted by Red75
I spoke to my t about this thread yesterday, and about my misgivings of feeling that I could appropriately support clients. She said that surely the hands of someone who has suffered and come through it are the safest hands to be in?
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I don't agree with that statement at all, I think qualities such as compassion, competence or a being responsible and emotionally mature are far more important to being able to help than having overcome extreme suffering.
It might actually be an impediment to helping when the therapist automatically assumes to know what one's individual experience of anything, life, is like. Then they might think they know better than the client him/herself how they feel and how they're impacted. It might also lead to arrogance in the therapist and invalidation of one's experience such as hopelessness at being able to get better, because after all if they could do it then you can,too, so why take it seriously?