[stopdog]

Do you believe the therapist looks out or ahead for you?

[Argonautomobile]

Yes and I almost always appreciate it--in retrospect. Sometimes at the time it's annoying.

Absolutely. My T's have had my back on many occasions. Thank God for that!

That's the reason I paid her, just like my accountants, teachers, tutors, lawyers, other doctors, and my hair dresser (though she failed me). It's greatly appreciated, and I can always speak up and say, "No thank you."

Not really, I look out for myself and he offers me a space to do so, as well as occasionally suggesting things which might help me to do that. (Sometimes I take his suggestions and sometimes I don't.)
I wouldn't like him to look out for me, but I wouldn't go as far as to say I wouldn't allow him to. He can do it if he likes, but if I don't want it its a waste of time really.

Originally Posted by stopdog

Do you believe the therapist looks out or ahead for you?

I'm not sure what you mean here. Are you talking about a therapist recognizing that a client is headed down a bad road and he/she tries to head the client off? Example: A client says, "I'm sick of the side effects of my meds and I'm going off them?" and the therapist steps in and tells the client that he/she shouldn't just stop their meds cold turkey but should talk first with their psychiatrist/doctor? Or do you mean that the therapist constantly reassures an anxious client that things are going to "get better" that he/she just has to hang in there or that the therapist gives frequent updates as to the client's progress?

[AllHeart]

Originally Posted by lolagrace

Absolutely. My T's have had my back on many occasions. Thank God for that!

I copycat Lolagrace's response. My current t has had my back on many, many occasions and I thank God for that!

[stopdog]

The phrase came up in another thread in terms of a therapist stopping the client from talking about something and that was looking ahead for the client bcause the therapist thought it was a bad idea.

Originally Posted by stopdog

The phrase came up in another thread in terms of a therapist stopping the client from talking about something and that was looking ahead for the client bcause the therapist thought it was a bad idea.

I wouldn't appreciate that. I set the agenda for therapy.

[unlockingsanity]

I feel like I don't understand the question....?

Originally Posted by stopdog

The phrase came up in another thread in terms of a therapist stopping the client from talking about something and that was looking ahead for the client bcause the therapist thought it was a bad idea.

With this explanation, then I would have to say, NO.

[divine1966]

She does, like suggests things to me, but I still do what I need or want to do.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[insertname]

Originally Posted by Echos Myron

I wouldn't appreciate that. I set the agenda for therapy.

Yeah...that would drive me nuts.

I wouldn't appreciate it if my therapist looked out for me or looked ahead for me as I appreciate far more a therapist having trust in my capability to look after myself and make my own decisions.

Sometimes mine tries to give suggestions, but I just get annoyed about it. If I need advice I'll ask for it, but otherwise I find it intrusive for advice to be given unsolicited.

[Chummy]

Sort of, I think. She will let me see different sides to something, but eventually it's my decision. Last session we talked about something and she said she would advice this instead of that, because of..., but it's my decision. I've to decide what I do.
My T hasn't really stopped me from talking about a certain topic. She has said ''Chummy, we aren't going to discuss this, we have done that several times and keep talking about it won't help you. You need to experience that it can me different. You have to look at what it could be if you try. That is your truth, but it isn't the truth. You have to get experiences for that.'' She was kind of right. To keep talking negative won't really help. But it was also a bit irritating. I just wanted to talk about everything that's wrong and that things can't change.

[Polibeth]

No, my therapist doesn't think that far ahead and she's terrible in a crisis. Fortunately, I am very stable and am able to look out for my own well-being (she's got a lot of good characteristics too - just not these)

[atisketatasket]

If you're talking about looking out in general, not just keeping a client from talking about something: all three have - No. 1 to the greatest excess (on her part) and annoyance (on my part).

[brillskep]

My therapist tries to look out for me occasionally and I appreciate it. Things like being empathetic and trying to accommodate my needs as appropriate or thinking of me with concern and care if he knows I'm in a new or stressful situation, checking up on me on rare occasion if he knows I'm having a particularly difficult issue and has some extra input, etc.

I would mind it if my therapist tried to go ahead of me in my therapy ... I am very attached to the therapist I am seeing so I would talk to him about it if he tried to do it, but with a different therapist part of the reason why I left his training group was that he did a therapy session with me trying to go ahead of me and telling me things about myself that I wasn't feeling (while denying my actual felt experience ... he actually used the word "psychotic" just because I was feeling despair and not anger). Not sure that is what you meant by "look ahead" though.

Originally Posted by stopdog

The phrase came up in another thread in terms of a therapist stopping the client from talking about something and that was looking ahead for the client bcause the therapist thought it was a bad idea.

That was in the context of something being brought up late in a session when there might not be time to give the topic full due attention and time, and rather that have a client get started and upset and unsettled right when it is time to go, the therapist having the client not get that topic started under those circumstances as it can be very upsetting to have to abruptly stop at the end right in middle of an intense topic.

[stopdog]

That as where I got the idea of it - I would not like it in any context - for me the idea that the therapist would think they held any position where they could, in any sense or area, look out for me is presumptuous and incorrect. In responding to the poll - feel free to define it as you like and respond accordingly.

In that context, I have always appreciated my therapist looking out for me so that I don't start into something we can't possibly get very far into or if we do I am likely to be in bad shape when it is time to end. I don't see that as presumptuous; I see that as part of his job in helping his clients. A therapist who doesn't help a client manage that kind of thing can leave a client feeling emotionally overwhelmed, perhaps unsafe to drive, etc.

[Out There]

In this context I would say yes my T does.

Originally Posted by stopdog

The phrase came up in another thread in terms of a therapist stopping the client from talking about something and that was looking ahead for the client bcause the therapist thought it was a bad idea.

I voted, OTHER, because my therapist doesn't do this, but I'd be ticked if she did try something like that. I get to decide what I want to discuss and when I want to discuss it. I have no problem saying, "No, that's not something I want to explore."

I don't see how I could "not allow it" if she did do it, other than say, "I don't like it when you try to lecture me or tell me what to do." If she continued to do it, then I'd just find another therapist. I don't mind my therapist pointing out when I'm not considering all the options; I like that because sometimes I make snap decisions and need to consider all possible options (I'm getting better at that). But I don't want any therapist telling me what SHE thinks I should do. That gets to be my decision.

No. Not only did he NOT look out for me, he viciously betrayed me.

I needed and still need support but there is nada.

I think that my T looks out for me within the session to try to ensure I feel ok where possible, as I have a tendency to not feel ok after the session. I think my T works flexibly and differently with each client, and if I wish it she would work in a kind of re-parenting way.

[unaluna]

A lot of times, i DO wait (or did) until the end of session to mention something. If its significant enough, maybe you need to schedule another sooner session; maybe you just want a five word stmt from t about it to tide you over; maybe you just want to share it butnot yet bare it all. A reminder about the shortness of time wouldnt be bad, but no, i dont want direction.