What shouldn't you tell your therapist?

With that said, we're outlining some common phrases that therapists tend to hear from their clients and why they might hinder your progress.
  • “I feel like I'm talking too much.” ...
  • “I'm the worst. ...
  • “I'm sorry for my emotions.” ...
  • “I always just talk about myself.” ...
  • “I can't believe I told you that!” ...
  • “Therapy won't work for me.”
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What should I not tell my therapist?

Never confess your love

Never tell your therapist that you think they're attractive, or that you'd like to take them out. It's just not okay, and your therapist will be incredibly uncomfortable with the situation. They may even have to stop seeing you if you profess your love for them.
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Is it OK to not tell your therapist everything?

While every clinician will be different around how much they're willing to self-disclose, there's no rule that says you can't ask about them. Some clinicians actually encourage it. There are clients who don't want to know anything about their therapists.
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What is OK to tell your therapist?

What can I tell my therapist? The short answer is that you can tell your therapist anything – and they hope that you do. It's a good idea to share as much as possible, because that's the only way they can help you.
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What are the do's and don'ts of therapy?

Dos and Don'ts for Therapists in Personal Crisis
  • Don't bottle up your feelings. ...
  • Do practice self-care and work through the pain using healthy outlets. ...
  • Don't unload the issue on clients or use clients as your emotional support system. ...
  • Do open up to trusted loved ones or your own therapist.
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3 Things Your Therapist Doesn't Tell You



Do therapists think about me between sessions?

Your therapist's relationship with you exists between sessions, even if you don't communicate with each other. She thinks of your conversations, as well, continuing to reflect on key moments as the week unfolds. She may even reconsider an opinion she had or an intervention she made during a session.
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Can I ask my therapist what he thinks of me?

Can I ask My Therapist What He/She Thinks of Me? Yes, you can, and yes you should. This is a reasonable question to ask a therapist, and any good therapist will be happy to answer.
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Can I tell my therapist about intrusive thoughts?

Tell your therapist about your thoughts, because they've heard much “stranger” and “more alarming” things before. (There are quotation marks because they probably won't think you're strange or see any reason to become alarmed.)
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Can a therapist judge you?

Your therapist judges you on multiple occasions.

It doesn't matter how many mistakes you've made or how many bad experiences you've had. A therapist should never judge you. It's your right to have a therapist who treats you with warmth and empathy.
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Why do therapists mirror you?

Your counselor mirrors you so that you feel comfortable and understood (and, for many therapists, matching your tone and speed helps them understand better). Mirroring body language in counseling is one of the first skills your therapist probably learned.
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What happens when you tell a therapist you are suicidal?

When you tell your therapist you've been having some suicidal thoughts, your therapist shouldn't panic. Most of us are trained to work with suicidal thoughts and feelings. If a therapist has not been trained in this area, and they seem to panic or dismiss your concerns, please ask to speak with someone else.
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Should I tell my therapist I do drugs?

Yes, You Can Really Tell Your Therapist About Your Substance Use. To answer the question, yes, you can talk to your counselor about using illicit, addictive substances. Unless you are a threat to your own life or the life of another, a licensed substance abuse counselor is sworn to confidentiality.
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How honest can you be with a therapist?

Therapists & counsellors expect trust in the sense that both parties understand and are committed to spend every session building it. The most critical component of trust is honesty, so consider being upfront about the fact that you do not trust a therapist 100% with certain information to be good practice at honesty.
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Do therapists Google their clients?

Do therapists Google their patients? Short answer: yes. A new study published on January 15 in the Journal of Clinical Psychology finds that 86% of the therapists interviewed by the study's authors say they sometimes do look up their patients on the Internet.
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Do therapists fantasize about clients?

According to new research, 72 percent of therapists surveyed felt friendship toward their clients. 70 percent of therapists had felt sexually attracted to a client at some point; 25 percent fantasized about having a romantic relationship.
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Can therapy make you worse?

It's frustrating because therapy was supposed to make you feel better. Now you're feeling awful, maybe worse than before you started therapy. It is actually normal to occasionally feel bad or worse after therapy, especially during the beginning of your work with a therapist. It can be a sign of progress.
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Is it OK to lie to your therapist?

Lying to your therapist is understandable, and it does not make you a bad person in any way. It happens all the time, as my examples illuminate. However, if you can open up fully to your therapist, and admit your flaws and missteps, then you will be making much better use of your sessions.
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Is crying in therapy a breakthrough?

A majority of therapists felt comfortable with their client's tears and encouraged clients who appeared on the verge of tears. For some, the very fact that a client is crying is perceived as therapeutic breakthrough. Yet, despite its popularity, the scientific evidence in support of catharsis is mixed and inconclusive.
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Why do therapists drop clients?

Therapists typically terminate when the patient can no longer pay for services, when the therapist determines that the patient's problem is beyond the therapist's scope of competence or scope of license, when the therapist determines that the patient is not benefiting from the treatment, when the course of treatment ...
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Do therapists dislike clients?

But in reality, all counselors experience discomfort with and dislike of a client at some point in their careers, says Keith Myers, an LPC and ACA member in the Atlanta metro area. “If someone tells you that it does not [happen], they're not being honest with themselves,” he says.
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How do you tell your therapist you're struggling?

Being honest in therapy is easier said than done, but here are some psychologist-approved tips to help make it easier:
  1. Create a game plan.
  2. Ground yourself.
  3. Pick an optimal appointment time.
  4. Get clarity around privacy.
  5. Start small.
  6. Send a letter.
  7. Practice in the mirror.
  8. Let your therapist take the lead.
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What can I share with my therapist?

Here are 12 things to consider.
  • Remember, there's no 'right' or 'wrong' thing to talk about. ...
  • If you find it hard to remember how you felt during the week, take notes out of session. ...
  • Bring up whatever's bugging you right now. ...
  • Tell your therapist about what kept you up last night (or last week) ...
  • Talk about your relationships.
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Should you Google your therapist?

Googling a therapist can raise feelings of guilt for some clients, and I think that it is useful in therapy to discuss the relationship as openly as you feel able. I would suggest that having a conversation with your therapist around your internet search could be a great opportunity for good work in therapy.
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Can I ask my therapist about their life?

The short answer to the question is: Yes. If you have a question, you should ask. Your questions are valid and likely relevant to the therapeutic process. (Blatantly inappropriate questions are of course a different story.)
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How do you know if a client is lying in therapy?

Detecting lies
  1. The first issue is for the counselor to ask himself or herself if the client has a motive to lie. ...
  2. When telling a lie, people often provide unnecessary detail, and their stories are often presented verbatim over several tellings. ...
  3. The story of a person who is lying won't match the known facts.
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