Therapist’s Flexibility: Navigating Unforeseen Paths in Therapy

Therapy is a unique journey that often takes unexpected turns. Whereas a medical diagnosis provides clear guidelines and treatment plans, mental health therapy is more flexible and can evolve as the client progresses. Therapists must be adaptable, ensuring they stay open to discussing a variety of issues to genuinely support their clients.

Joining the Client Where They Are

One of the primary skills that therapists employ is the ability to “join the client where he is.” This means, rather than forcing a conversation to stay on a predetermined topic, the therapist allows the client to share about anything that comes to mind. The client’s current mood, concerns, or experiences are just as important as the original presenting issue.

Dr. Dave emphasizes that therapists provide a safe and supportive environment for clients to freely express their thoughts and emotions. By doing so, they can better understand their clients and help them navigate their Own path towards healing.

Handling Distracting Yet Important Topics

Therapists use various techniques to address other important topics that may arise during the session. For instance, a therapist might say, “it seems like we’ve wandered pretty far from what we started off talking about. Does it feel hard to stay focused on [insert problem here]? ” This question acknowledges the client’s current feelings and may prompt them to reflect on why the new topic is significant.

Alternatively, therapists might suggest, “this feels important for us to pay attention to, but before we go too much further I do want to stop and check in about [problem]. Should we put [problem] on hold for today so we can focus on the new thing? ” This approach ensures that the client feels heard and that the session remains focused despite the shift in conversation.

Rolling with the Unexpected

There are times when the therapist must “roll with it.” This is especially true in critical situations or when the new topic is clearly relevant to the client’s well-being. A therapist might say, “maybe because it’s a clear emergency and takes precedence over anything else, or maybe because it becomes apparent that the new topic is what someone came to therapy over, they just didn’t know it or weren’t comfortable talking about it yet. ”

In such cases, the therapist may make a note to revisit the initial issue in a future session. This demonstrates the therapist’s commitment to addressing all relevant issues and ensuring comprehensive support for the client.

Setting Treatment Goals and Direction

It is generally advisable for therapists to establish treatment goals and a clear understanding of what the client aims to achieve in therapy. “It’s hard to make or measure progress if we don’t even know what progress is.” However, mental health conditions can be highly variable, and clients may gain new insights or change their priorities. As a result, the direction of treatment may shift over time.

For example, as a client improves, they may develop a clearer sense of their identity, needs, and goals. Dr. Dave explains that, “the direction of treatment is often going to shift over time because as someone gets better, they have a clearer sense of who they are and what they want and need, and it looks different than they thought it did at first. ”

This flexibility allows therapists to adapt their approach and continue providing effective support to their clients. By staying attuned to the client’s evolving needs, therapists can help them achieve meaningful and lasting change.