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From: Ellen-Marie Silverman
Date: 01 Oct 2012
Time: 14:30:21 -0500
Remote Name: 76.230.146.138
Hello, Elizabeth. Nice to hear from you! /// I'm glad you asked the question you did because I think other students may wonder as you are about what to do at the outset when someone presents themselves for therapy but states one way or another they don't believe they need therapy, they don't believe therapy can help, and they don't want to take therapy but feel obligated to do so to satisfy someone with whom they have a personal relationship or a co-worker/supervisor at work. Another category of potential client is one who is facing a challenge and doesn't know what to do to resolve the challenge or want to take steps to meet their need, such as enrolling in psychotherapy or counseling, and are hoping that, maybe, speech therapy which they may home some comfort with can help although they don't really think so; they just want to feel they are doing something to solve their problem. /// Well, these are fairly common happenstances for which we all need to find our own way. I think we are likely to make the most constructive decisions if we allow ourselves to be guided by the reality that it is unlikely that someone who doesn't want to participate in therapy will experience real, lasting change by enrolling in therapy. For us to engage in a debate to try to convince such a client to enroll in therapy is a potentially harmful exercise for both of us. I imagine that you can understand why. /// So, let me just summarize by saying that by helping a potential client articulate in detail what it is that they want for themselves, then explaining to them what therapy may offer them to help realize their goals and what will be required of them to do so is a sound way to deal with such a circumstance, from my perspective. Remember: Having clients state their goals speech-wise and time-wise then mutually deciding whether therapy you can offer will help them realize their goals helps create a therapeutic environment where desired change can occur. /// I know I'm repeating myself a bit, but I think your question/concern is a most basic and valuable one, and I want to be sure you can "hear" what I have to say about dealing with such situations. /// All best wishes for a bright career. Sincerely, Ellen-Marie Silverman