Do therapist really care about their patients?

If you feel genuinely cared for by your therapist, it’s real. It’s too hard to fake that. And the truth is that most therapists (myself and the therapists I refer to) care too much. We do think about you outside of session.

What is it called when a patient develops feelings for their therapist?

There is actually a term in psychoanalytic literature that refers to a patient’s feelings about his or her therapist known as transference,1 which is when feelings for a former authority figure are “transferred” onto a therapist. Falling in love with your therapist may be more common than you realize.

What does it mean if your therapist cries?

Common triggers for therapist tears are grief and loss or trauma, says Blume-Marcovici. Therapists who have suffered recent losses or major life stresses may return to work too soon — and then may find themselves crying when counseling patients who have had similar experiences.

Is countertransference an ethical issue?

work through dilemmas in practice that involve countertransference, there are several ethical issues to be considered: Boundary issues pertaining to countertransference can fall along the continuum of boundaries and can manifest into boundary crossings or boundary violations.

Can attraction between therapists and clients happen?

Attraction between therapists and clients happen more often than many therapists let on. I’ve counseled quite a few cases over the years, and have worked with some patients for whom things had ethically gone bad with their last therapist — occasionally crossing legal boundaries.

Why is therapy so difficult?

What makes therapy challenging is that it requires people to see themselves in ways they normally choose not to. A therapist will hold up the mirror in the most compassionate way possible, but it’s up to the patient to take a good look at that reflection.

Why should therapists avoid these common counseling pitfalls?

By avoiding these common counseling pitfalls, therapists will be in a better position to empower, guide, and support their clients toward greater emotional fulfillment and wellbeing. Before you read on, we thought you might like to download our three Positive Psychology Exercises for free.

Do therapists break up with their patients?

The reverse, however, is also true: Sometimes therapists break up with their patients. You may not consider this when you first step into a therapist’s office, but our goal is to stop seeing you.