What to do if I'm a therapist and my client wants to talk religion or politics?

Started by MatureMcLeod, January 18, 2017, 01:11:24 AM

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MatureMcLeod

I'm becoming a therapist and I'm not one yet, but I have plans for it. Let's just assume I had a client who wanted to discuss religion or politics. How do I give them advice without having judgements and/or telling him to follow mine? Then if they ask me what religion or political views I am, it would make it even harder. I usually don't preach religion and/or politics or even talk about it, but you never know what the client might be thinking or wanting to talk about.

What if they were doubtful of the religion of political view and couldn't handle it themselves? I know many people who are fearful and go to therapy because of our new president. I also know people who deal with struggles if they had strict religious parents. I don't have even close to the experience yet, I need to know what to do if this ever happened. I would never bring it up myself, but I need to know what to do if they bring it up.

Arturo

Look you're a nice guy, but DO NOT become a therapist. It will be better a better outcome for them and you.
It's Okay To Say You're Welcome
     Just let people be themselves.
     Arturo The1  リ壱

Pasta Chick

I would seriously consider why you want to become a therapist in the first place.

In short, any schooling to qualify you as a therapist will include ways to dampen biases and deflect direct questions about yourself. They are there as your client for you to help them work through their shit, not for the two of you to become buddies.

If this is a field that you pursue you will learn these things in due time. If you don't think you can do that, directly practicing therapy may not be the right road for you. An offshoot or similar field with less public interaction may be better suited to you.


Magdalena

MatureMcLeod, hi.  :computerwave:

You've made several posts, but you've responded to none:
1. I can't stand Trump or Christians. How do I get over this?
2. When are we going to make Childhood Indoctrination illegal?
3. Do you respect believers?
4. If a religion was perfect, do you think it would respect nonbelievers?
5. How do Christians sleep at night knowing their God is a complete monster?
6. If someone made a religion of worshiping Donald Trump...


I asked you this the last time:
Quote from: Magdalena on January 11, 2017, 05:57:18 AM
And why is it that you never respond to anyone's posts? Just curious.

I will continue to copy/paste this question in all your posts until you give me/us, something.  ;)

"I've had several "spiritual" or numinous experiences over the years, but never felt that they were the product of anything but the workings of my own mind in reaction to the universe." ~Recusant

Tank

On the basis of your previous posts I would strongly suggest you are not suited to the role of therapist.
If religions were TV channels atheism is turning the TV off.
"Religion is a culture of faith; science is a culture of doubt." ― Richard P. Feynman
'It is said that your life flashes before your eyes just before you die. That is true, it's called Life.' - Terry Pratchett
Remember, your inability to grasp science is not a valid argument against it.

Dave

MM, it is quite common for those experiencing problems themselves to wish to "become a therapist". I know some one, with severe problems from a dysfunctional family background, who worked her way through a university degree in psychology mainly in order to solve her own problems.

She got the degree but failed to find her solution, still lives a dysfunctional life in a dysfunctional family with a degree she has made no attempt to make use of.

You cannot treat your own problems by trying to treat others, it will bring only disaster for both. [Added later] And you cannot treat yourself because it is impossible to be fully objective about oneself.

If politics or religion, or an attitude towards both or either, are core to a person's problem then they have to be dealt with - objectively on the part of the therapist. Can you honestly say you can deal with these, and maybe abuse from others or self-abuse, in an open and objective manner?

Can you accept the transference of hate and blame to yourself because you insist that the "patient" give up those things they have clung to as "security" when those same things are part of the cause of the problem?
Tomorrow is precious, don't ruin it by fouling up today.
Passed Monday 10th Dec 2018 age 74

Asmodean

What my therapist does with me is engage. It was not always this way, but she is a quick learner and she understands how I operate.

I guess it comes down to reading the patient and acting accordingly... Except you sort of need to do it well quickly, or not at all.
Quote from: Ecurb Noselrub on July 25, 2013, 08:18:52 PM
In Asmo's grey lump,
wrath and dark clouds gather force.
Luxembourg trembles.

Bad Penny II

Quote from: MatureMcLeod on January 18, 2017, 01:11:24 AM
I'm becoming a therapist and I'm not one yet, but I have plans for it. Let's just assume I had a client who wanted to discuss religion or politics. How do I give them advice without having judgements and/or telling him to follow mine?

You can't give advice without having made a judgement, it's impossible unless you're a shoddy practitioner.


Quote from: MatureMcLeod on January 18, 2017, 01:11:24 AM
Then if they ask me what religion or political views I am, it would make it even harder. I usually don't preach religion and/or politics or even talk about it, but you never know what the client might be thinking or wanting to talk about.

I usually say I am amorphous for the purpose of these sessions.

Quote from: MatureMcLeod on January 18, 2017, 01:11:24 AM
What if they were doubtful of the religion of political view and couldn't handle it themselves? I know many people who are fearful and go to therapy because of our new president. I also know people who deal with struggles if they had strict religious parents. I don't have even close to the experience yet, I need to know what to do if this ever happened. I would never bring it up myself, but I need to know what to do if they bring it up.

Say Hmmmmm and nod sagely.
They'll teach you to hmmm and the sagely nod if you go to a proper school.
Beards are good too, you should grow one so you can tweak it to affect.


Take my advice, don't listen to me.

Asmodean

Quote from: Ecurb Noselrub on July 25, 2013, 08:18:52 PM
In Asmo's grey lump,
wrath and dark clouds gather force.
Luxembourg trembles.

Bad Penny II

I don't think it would be an inappropriate request if you asked her to don one.
Take my advice, don't listen to me.

Dragonia

Are you kidding? You have to be just posting shit on here to see what people will say. I dont think you've responded to one thing anyone has said to you. You just keep opening new threads.
But in case you're serious (which would be laughable), ill say this:
You outta get over your own suicidal tendencies before you even think about endeavoring to help someone else with theirs.
Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle. ~ Plato (?)

Dave

BP ll said:
QuoteYou can't give advice without having made a judgement, it's impossible unless you're a shoddy practitioner.

Theraists should ever make "judgements" in the way most people use the word - judgements are usually subjective, from the person's experience and opinions.

Judges make judgements based on years io experience in an objective environment, any judge who makes judgenments based on personal values needs sacking and dragging into court him or herself.

Psychotherapy ideally relies on careful selection of stable candidates, education, mentoring with monitored experience and, finally, lots of actual experience of increasingly more important and complex problems,, still with assessments afterwards. Takes years to do it properly. And one of the reasons they often charge a lot and are scarce in nationalised health systems.

Ok, they can state opinions, but only if they can back them up with evidence and comparative examples. It's an imprecise art, never a science at the coal face of the human condition. Every client is unique but, maybe, shares enough characteristics and behaviours to put them into a "group" that can also share similar therapeutic techniques to find enough of a solution to give relief. Hopefully.

Tomorrow is precious, don't ruin it by fouling up today.
Passed Monday 10th Dec 2018 age 74

xSilverPhinx

Quote from: Tank on January 18, 2017, 09:03:09 AM
On the basis of your previous posts I would strongly suggest you are not suited to the role of therapist.

I'm going to second this. :this:

I don't mean to be harsh but it seems you could use quite a few sessions yourself, and are not apt to help others with their issues at the moment.
I am what survives if it's slain - Zack Hemsey


Firebird

Quote from: xSilverPhinx on January 18, 2017, 03:28:33 PM
Quote from: Tank on January 18, 2017, 09:03:09 AM
On the basis of your previous posts I would strongly suggest you are not suited to the role of therapist.

I'm going to second this. :this:

I don't mean to be harsh but it seems you could use quite a few sessions yourself, and are not apt to help others with their issues at the moment.

Thirded.
"Great, replace one book about an abusive, needy asshole with another." - Will (moderator) on replacing hotel Bibles with "Fifty Shades of Grey"

Dave

Quote from: Firebird on January 18, 2017, 03:34:45 PM
Quote from: xSilverPhinx on January 18, 2017, 03:28:33 PM
Quote from: Tank on January 18, 2017, 09:03:09 AM
On the basis of your previous posts I would strongly suggest you are not suited to the role of therapist.

I'm going to second this. :this:

I don't mean to be harsh but it seems you could use quite a few sessions yourself, and are not apt to help others with their issues at the moment.

Thirded.
Fourthed
Tomorrow is precious, don't ruin it by fouling up today.
Passed Monday 10th Dec 2018 age 74