Does your therapist have children?
Do you care? Do you need to know? Should you know? If you knew, how would knowing affect your therapy? Amongst therapists there is divided opinion on this topic although everyone agrees that the therapy hour is the patient’s time; it is not time to focus on anything that has happened or is happening in the therapist’s life.
The relationship between patient and therapist is unique in that it is a one-way relationship. It actually IS all about you. But sometimes it is nice to know that your therapist has had sleepless nights, been covered in vomit, and had dinner thrown on the floor. Or is it nice to know this? Here’s two very common responses: 1) “Phew, she understands. She has been there. It’s not just theory to her.” 2) “She probably thinks I am so weak and such a terrible parent. She probably has it all sorted.” (Then again, the popular myth is that therapists are all mad so perhaps no one thinks this?) So what do you think? Would you want to know personal (not intimate) information about your therapist? What issues/information would you like to know? How would it affect your working relationship with the therapist? How could it affect your therapy, for better or for worse?
2 thoughts on “Does your therapist have children?”
I concur with what Simone says. I seek a therapist who has practical experience in what I am dealing with. And now, the underlying factor is child raising so I would look for that as a minimum.
Do all fantastic teachers have to have had children? do good gynacolgists have to have had babies. I do not want to know anything about my therapists life l just want to now they are present with me when l am talking to them.