Quote:
Originally Posted by Argonautomobile
I think the analogy works there. In either case, it involves a great deal of trust to let yourself be physically or mentally vulnerable around another person. If you can't help but be vulnerable, because that's just where you're at, you can't help but invest trust, either.
Would it be going too far to say that whenever you trust someone you hand them power along with the faith that they won't abuse it?
Maybe. Seems sort of cynical.  |
Well, I think in our everyday relationships, when they're healthy, there's a mutual building of trust and vulnerability. With a doctor or a therapist, we generally show up out of a place of illness. We don't go to our doctor expecting them to give us their medical history or our therapist to give us their personal problems. While I think there can be a mutual respect and a mutual trust between client and therapist, I don't think there can be an ethical building of mutual vulnerability since we're in therapy to work on very specific issues.
That would be the goal of having ethics and boards and the ability to file complaints. It would, ideally, balance the power somewhat.
My T could have preyed on my vulnerabilities and I could have reported him (and he would have likely lost his job since he works for a well-known local clinic and it would have reflected very poorly on them).
Of course, that's making it sound way easier than it is. Emotions have a lot of power over the decisions we make and how we respond to situations.