Posted by twinleaf on February 2, 2008, at 0:24:53
In reply to Re: Male or female T? » twinleaf, posted by Maxime on February 2, 2008, at 0:00:28
It sounds like you will do well with either a man or a woman- and in fact have already done so in the past. I do think it's so important that they are respectful, empathic and nurturing. Another thing to think about is how interactive they are. As you know from experience, some are quite quiet, and some respond verbally all throughout the session. Some people need the support that more verbal interaction brings, but others find that it gets in the way of their probing deeply into an issue.
I think a good question to ask is what do they think actually helps in therapy. The first therapist I had answered that by saying that it was empathic listening. The second one (the one I have now) said that it was "bearing witness" to past traumas. He also felt that it was very important to keep the client fully in mind every moment of the session. He feels that real change occurs after a lot of time spent listening- at times when the therapist's and the client's minds engage one another in what he calls a "moment of meeting". By this, I think he means that the work of therapy gradually loosens our old ways of thinking and feeling, so that we are able to engage our therapist in a new healthier kind of way. This one is actually quieter than the first one, but it works out very well.
poster:twinleaf
thread:810221
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/psycho/20080126/msgs/810236.html