Therapists, Every Single Thing You Say Matters!

  

   I know that this sounds obvious. We’re therapists counseling vulnerable people, of course what we say matters.

    It’s deeper than that. Clients may look to you as a role model, someone safe to model themselves after. They may feel like what they have to say doesn’t matter, because it hasn’t seemed to matter to anyone else. If you respond incorrectly, you may reinforce that belief. The client may withdraw and that chance you had to make a genuine connection is gone.

    Maybe that client has had bad experiences with therapists so far. Your actions could single-handedly turn that around and help them learn to trust that even though they’ve had a bad experience doesn’t mean that they will all be bad.

    We’ve all said the wrong thing on occasion, or it sounds different than we meant it. The best thing to do is address it immediately and apologize. Taking ownership of your mistakes will help to maintain that professional relationship. Anytime this has ever happened to me, it was fixable. I attribute it to the strong rapport I build with my clients.

    It’s not all bad, either. You may say something that your client remembers in a time of need and it helps them pull through. They may think, “I don’t believe in myself right now, but The Plant-Powered Therapist believed in me once. I’m going to try,” or “What would The Plant-Powered Therapist think about this?” I always sincerely hope that something I say stands out as helpful and that my clients can remember it in a time of need.

    Remember, your clients are just like you. They had a bad day that you didn’t have. Always treat them with the kindness and respect that they deserve.