Do therapists really care about clients? (2023)

Do therapists get upset over clients?

Therapists do get frustrated with clients from time to time, but some can handle difficult clients better than others. This may be due to training or inherent personality traits.

The reality is, however, that while a therapist might have more specific training, particular knowledge, and certain skills, the client has most of the actual power.

And don't worry: the biggest, most central thing on your therapist's mind is going to be YOU. Most of her attention will be focused on simply listening to you, and really wanting to get a good sense of who you are, and how you experience your life.

I've seen averages of 30-40 clients on a caseload, and I've seen some caseloads as high as several hundred clients! Mental health folks LOVE a good black-and-white answer, which is ironic because so much of their training equips them to embrace the space in the middle!

Yes, I think so. The job of the therapist is to use yourself as an instrument, and be aware of how you ( your instrument) reacts. If you feel angry, irritated or bored with a client, very likely other people would also.

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.

A therapist should never judge you. It's your right to have a therapist who treats you with warmth and empathy. Your therapist may challenge you at times, but they can still communicate with tact. Words matter in the counseling relationship.

How many clients should a therapist see per week? The range I hear most often when talking with therapists who work fulltime in private practice is 20-30 clients per week. The amount that's right for you might consider several variables: -How much money you need to make.

Further, therapists do not judge or reprimand their clients. They endeavour to understand the context of their clients' actions by asking probing questions and listening attentively. By doing so, some clients may feel they are cared for or understood.

Hugs may be acceptable in therapy, and sometimes they aren't. This is all dependent on various factors in the therapeutic relationship and individual characteristics of you and your therapist. Remember, your relationship with your clinician can be close — but it should remain a professional one.

Do therapists miss their clients?

We walk a fine line of being on your side but making sure that you are grounded and can maintain proper boundaries. So yes, we as therapists do talk about our clients (clinically) and we do miss our clients because we have entered into this field because we remain hopeful for others.

A older study once showed that therapists prefer clients who are married women, age 20-40 with post-high school education and a professional job. A more recent study shows therapists prefer clients who are motivated and open-minded above all other qualities.

It's mostly for logistical reasons. People tend to schedule appointments on the hour. And, most therapists provide 50 minute sessions so that they can take a 10-minute break between sessions to use the bathroom, grab something to drink and review notes before the next session.

Therapists are human, and so they have likes and dislikes just as anyone would. They may “like” some clients more than others, but that doesn't mean they will give better care to those people. Often, liking a client makes it more difficult to be objective with them.

For the specific event, therapists used silence primarily to facilitate reflection, encourage responsibility, facilitate expression of feelings, not interrupt session flow, and convey empathy. During silence, therapists observed the client, thought about the therapy, and conveyed interest.

The number of recommended sessions varies by condition and treatment type, however, the majority of psychotherapy clients report feeling better after 3 months; those with depression and anxiety experience significant improvement after short and longer time frames, 1-2 months & 3-4.

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.

Perhaps the most extensive literature on therapist fear focuses on fear of assaults.

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.

Should a therapist tell you about their life?

The basic rule of thumb is that therapists should not be getting their own needs met by self-disclosing to clients. Even in peer counseling programs such as AA, the leaders are usually those who no longer need to talk about their own struggles in every meeting. Recent difficulties are best avoided.

Indeed, like therapists, patients may develop sexual or romantic feelings for the person with whom they are working so closely and intimately, sometimes for months or years.

Outcome studies of psychotherapy indicate that 3 to 10% of clients actually fare worse after treatment.

It is healthy and normal for a therapist to become attached to the client. They should truly care about the client's feelings, well-being and want them to get better. However, a good therapist should refer the client to another professional if they grow too attached.

70 percent of therapists had felt sexually attracted to a client at some point; 25 percent fantasized about having a romantic relationship. However, actual relationships were very rare: only three percent had started a sexual relationship with a client.