Quote:
Originally Posted by CantExplain
Many Ts insist that they are not and cannot be "friends". I think they overdo this. A little more friendliness might result in a more lasting relationship and better results for the patient in the long run. I feel that the patient gains little from a hostile relationship that terminates early and badly, however "therapeutically sound" it might be.
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I don't know. For me, being friends and being friendly are two completely different concepts but to my mind, neither of them is necessarily appropriate in therapy.
I don't think it would be a good idea for therapists to offer friendship to patients. That's not their role and although there might be certain rare exceptions, in most cases it will probably be disaster for the therapy. I.e. it will not be a therapy but a paid friendship, which to my mind would be unethical.
At the same time, I don't think therapists should necessarily be friendly all the time. Sure, they should never be hostile and they should be respectful and as non-judgemental as possible. But being friendly is not always appropriate. For instance, if I actively hate my therapist at a moment then I would perceive being friendly disrespecting my feelings.