Quote:
Originally Posted by atisketatasket
Has it occurred to you that there is not a single definitive answer to the question of who holds power in the relationship? I did not expect there to be one when I started the thread, and the variety of responses proves that.
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I think what the thread shows is that there are widely varying experiences of the inherent power imbalance, varying intensities, and also many different ways of managing it. I would still maintain that the imbalance is there from the get go.
Here's a quote from an expert on the topic:
"Patient-therapist relationships are tilted toward the power of the therapist because of the structure of the relationship: patients bring the most vulnerable facets of self to their therapists' strongest aspects." -- Sue Ellkind PhD