The therapeutic relationship.

The connection with your therapist can impact your treatment and change in therapy. 

A big part of therapy is your connection with your therapist.

• Do you feel like they “get” you?

• Do you feel like they understand what you are saying when you are not saying anything at all?

• Do you feel like they challenge you when you need it and can leave their opinions out of your sessions? 

There are so many factors that make or break a therapeutic relationship; however, when you find a good fit, you’ll know it!

A bittersweet part of therapy, when you have a good relationship with clients, is when you have to transfer them to a new therapist to receive appropriate treatment or a different support program. I have had some great relationships with clients over the years, and I had to recommend that they seek other forms of therapy because that was in the best interest of their journey. It’s hard for the therapist and client, and it may make it hard for the client to be open to starting with a new therapist. Anytime a client leaves me to transfer to a program or therapist, or they are terminating, I always remind them that my door is always open. You never know why someone may want to come back in the future, and if we had a good rapport, I would like them to know I am a safe person for them to come back to. 

Tips to clients: If you don’t feel like your therapist is understanding you, the vibe is off, or you are not getting what you need from the therapist, you have the right to do the following things: Tell the therapist what you need from your sessions and see if anything changes and/or find a new therapist.