Normalize and validate the response. Compassionately state that crying is a normal reaction. Let the client know explicitly that it's okay to cry; there's no need to hold back the tears. If offering a tissue box, it's often useful to say, “Please don't try to hold those tears back.
A good therapist should be compassionate and understanding in order to better connect with you, make you feel comfortable, provide you with the right guidance, and let you know that you're in a safe place.
Therapists usually feel more regret about "more intense crying or more frequent tears or tears that are related to their own situation," says Blume-Marcovici. Another red flag: crying every time you see someone with a particular problem.
The short answer is that no, not everyone does cry in counseling. However, pretty much everyone who participates in counseling does explore very strong emotions and most clients will experience tears at some point in their therapy journey.
Crying in front of a client is risky — it could make them uncomfortable or make them feel that you're occupying too much space during their session,and damage the therapeutic alliance.
Normalize and validate the response. Compassionately state that crying is a normal reaction. Let the client know explicitly that it's okay to cry; there's no need to hold back the tears. If offering a tissue box, it's often useful to say, “Please don't try to hold those tears back.
Those who cry do so in an average of 7% of therapy sessions (Blume-Marcovici, et al., 2013). A study conducted by Trezza, Hastrup and Kim (1988) on patient crying found that patients cry in approximately 21% of therapy sessions.
In these instances, tears indicate that the person is at least temporarily giving up the struggle. Although this is commonly thought of as a “breakdown,” we optimistically consider it a potential breakthrough.
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.
A therapist can hug a client if they think it may be productive to the treatment. A therapist initiating a hug in therapy depends on your therapist's ethics, values, and assessment of whether an individual client feels it will help them.
All therapists are legally required to maintain confidentiality for their clients. Confidentiality means that a therapist cannot confirm or deny even treating the client if someone asks. Furthermore, they cannot discuss any revealing contact information, such as a client's name or demographics, outside of the session.
Ineffective therapy is tenuous
A therapist's answers to a client's questions results in the client asking their questions again. A client notices feeling irritated because their therapist isn't 'getting them' A client needs to invent subjects to talk about. A client doesn't think about their therapy in between sessions.
Therapy has been found to be most productive when incorporated into a client's lifestyle for approximately 12-16 sessions, most typically delivered in once weekly sessions for 45 minutes each. For most folks that turns out to be about 3-4 months of once weekly sessions.
Stopping therapy may be an option if you feel you have achieved all the goals you set and you've developed the skills to move on. You've learned how to manage your symptoms or have found a way to move through a challenge.
A number of things could prompt a pause, but common reasons include financial concerns, health problems, schedule conflicts, lack or time, money, or a move. Sometimes the problem isn't with you, but with your therapist. Therapists are people, too — people who may relocate, retire, or take a medical leave.
Therapy is much more difficult with coerced, reluctant, or challenging clients. These are typically clients who are not necessarily ready to make a change in their life, but have been forced to do so by the court system, the child welfare system, or their spouse or significant other.
Looking ahead. Sharing something you think is too sensitive or personal can be uncomfortable. But know you're not alone in thinking you've disclosed too much in therapy. When this happens, it can help to explore why you think you've overshared and talk it over with your therapist.