Posted by Racer on August 31, 2008, at 11:11:48
In reply to Re: General thoughts on the subject of responsibility » susan47, posted by seldomseen on August 31, 2008, at 10:04:38
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> I agree, there should be some sort of rational debriefing so to speak when therapy ends badly. Instead, it usually ends up adversarial and very very emotionally charged on both parts. Therapists tend to close the ranks to protect themselves and just can't or won't admit any culpability at all.My own bad treatment situation was a bit different from Susan's, and I DID file complaints with all the relevant licensing agencies. At some point afterwards, my therapist -- who probably provides more self-disclosure than many are comfortable with -- told me something I actually found chilling:
When she first read the history I'd written of those events for the complaint process, the bulleted summary from the complaint, and the final complaint documents, she wondered if she would be better off -- safer -- referring me away, in case this was an extreme example of splitting.
Now, by the time she told me about her reservations about me, her considerations about whether I'd write the same style of pretty plausible complaint about her if she didn't satisfy my every want, we knew each other that it was a bonding experience. (I melted with that, "ah, and you gave me a chance" gratitude.)
By then, we had formed a working therapeutic alliance, we'd been through problems together, worked them out together, and the transference involved in those sessions the ones right after the bad ones was mostly the healthy-modeling/Good Enough Mother variety, where we both gave a little, and both came out satisfied with the resulting communication and the resulting therapeutic relationship. In other words, I had shown the signs of splitting that most of the world has done now and again -- "I just don't like you at all today! You're not listening to me!" I probably scowled at her, too, or maybe even glared. (Since I can't write poetry, Poet is trying to teach me to glare instead. I want her to know I'm practicing.)
So, the closing ranks isn't necessarily one of those "they all stick together, no matter what." It may often be a simple case of self-preservation -- "that therapist probably was pretty bad -- but what if the client misinterpreted appropriate therapeutic dynamics? And what if that gets focused on me, next?"
And, of course, in some cases, therapist probably decide that it doesn't matter who is responsible for any portion of the southern road trip involved -- "closure" only comes through the grieving process, which doesn't require any contact with the allegedly sub-optimal therapist, and will therefore resist anything that involves further discussion of the other party's alleged failings.
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The thing that bothers me most about it all, though, is that there are some very black and white rules -- sex between T and client is strictly verboten within [time frame]. So, let's say they run into one another at a bar, [time frame less six weeks] after the end of a very short run together (for the sake of argument -- after six weeks, the T realized there was some chemistry which would interfere with the process and refers the client on), they're both young, single, maybe a little exuberant (The Giants just won the World Series), maybe they've gotten a little over-frolicked on the alcohol side, and ... They make a mistake. They do not exercise the best judgment possible. And the T can still lose his/her license for it.
And yet, a T whose negligent disregard of very clear signs of a worsening psychiatric condition leads to severe damage for the client -- is often considered too subjective to investigate.
Sorry -- I went off on one of my tangents again...
poster:Racer
thread:849022
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/psycho/20080826/msgs/849434.html