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Old Mar 03, 2018, 01:02 PM
RaineD RaineD is offline
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Member Since: Aug 2017
Location: United States
Posts: 950
Sometimes! And, for me, it's an essential part of therapy, and I definitely grow from it.

Because I struggle with severe attachment injuries from childhood, a lot of the time when my feelings get hurt in therapy, it's because my therapist said one thing and I heard something else. For example, my therapist used to ask me, "why are you here?" He's trying to get me to remember/think about my motivation for going to therapy, but what I heard was, "why are you here? I wish you would leave." And I would feel hurt.

So feeling hurt is a part of therapy. It shows me what I need to work through.

I think the difference between good and bad is, well, it's "good" if the hurt feelings are mainly the result of the client's issues and point to things that need time be worked on, and it's bad of the hurt feelings are caused by the therapist's unresolved issues, unethical conduct, or personality disorder. There are in-between scenarios too--for example, where the therapist fails to properly manage their own counter-transference and hurts the client's feelings as a result but the therapist isn't abusive or unethical or personality disordered. In those situations, the therapist's mistakes and the client's hurt feelings can be worked through, and both parties can grow.
Hugs from:
NativeSky, unaluna
Thanks for this!
ElectricManatee, mostlylurking, NativeSky, unaluna