PSYCHOTHERAPYHELP NEWS
Published
by Paul J. Hannig, Ph.D.
You are
receiving this newsletter because of your interest in Dr. Paul's work or
your visit to PsychotherapyHELP. Enjoy!
The
Therapy Resistant Client:
"Why
Do Some People Have Difficulty with Counseling and Psychotherapy?"
Question:
Why do some people have difficulty with counseling and psychotherapy?
Answer: Psychotherapy and counseling can sometimes be stressful for some
people. If you have a low tolerance for stress, there is no predicting
how you will react to the suggestions and interventions of a therapist.
It is important that the therapist be extremely honest and not walk on
eggshells with a client. If the therapist protects a client from
him/herself, he may actually be supporting disorder.
The beginning of counseling and psychotherapy is usually experimental and
filled with trial and error methods that are intended to uncover and discover
the right techniques and methods for change. Nothing is perfect and what
may be right for one person, may not be right for someone else. It is
important for the client and the counselor to be aware of the problems inherent
in the very early stages of treatment. Mistakes and success experiences
are inherent in all human interactions. Usually, the therapy resistant client
has a very low tolerance for early therapy trial and error methods. This
type of client is very intolerant of mistakes and can actually lash out at the
therapist.
In all probability, the therapy resistant client has made many mistakes in
his/her's own life and has failed to adopt successful strategies for dealing
with life's challenges. In such a situation, the resistant client has
great difficulty facing the self and tends to project blame outward.
If an intervention presses a stress button, the client can literally go into
disorder. Stress tolerance levels are measures for how well a person can
cope with the challenges of life. Low stress tolerance levels and
ineffective coping strategies create disorder. That is why the medical
profession has created psychopharmacological drugs. These drugs are
intended to help people cope with stress and perhaps prevent the breakdown into
disorder. However, they are not always 100% effective. It is
vitally important that the individual learns stress reduction and coping skills
in order to meet the minimal standards of success in life and psychotherapy.
Failure to cope successfully with one's own stress levels can lead to a lot of
misery and despair. In such situations, people may act very
inappropriately, destructively and even abusively.
By the way, the therapist will eventually tap into the client's stress
tolerance mechanisms and if extremely low stress tolerance levels are exceeded,
the client will defensively attack the therapist. This is called the
Negative Transference.
Question: So, what is the answer?
Answer: Certain people, because of extremely low stress tolerance levels,
should not be accepted for any kind of counseling that could evoke extreme and
destructive defenses. Psychotherapy requires a fairly stable reality
testing/processing ego. Extensive screening with the proper techniques and
tools can indicate which people might be good candidates for
psychotherapy. A disintegrating, shattered and unsteady ego suggests
problems for the client and the therapist. It would probably be a good
strategy to institute a period of trial counseling and assessment to determine
the suitability of treatment.
Resources:
If you want
more information on Feeling Therapy, then check
out "Feeling People" at PsychotherapyHELP. "Feeling People" is an
exciting and powerful excursion into the way deep core feeling can profoundly
change and transform your life. The message in the book is clear: it is
absolutely possible, through the feeling process, to reverse the effects of
original pain and lead a fully integrated, successful and happy life with
yourself and others. It is the cornerstone of my Feeling Therapy Program
and I highly recommend its reading. For more information on
my Feeling Therapy Program, click here ... Please note that
Feeling Therapy can be done over the telephone within the context of Telephone
Therapy.
For
more information on relationships check out my book "Sizzling
Relationships: the 401(k) of Love" at PsychotherapyHELP. "Sizzling Relationships"
takes the guesswork out of building and maintaining a
sizzling relationship by providing very powerful and specific guidelines. When
was the last time you researched how to relate to your significant
other, boss, child, or friend in a more productive, constructive way? To
read an excerpt from "Sizzling Relationships", click here ...
For
information on how to deal with personality disorders, check out my book "Coping
With The Disorder".It is a step-by-step guide on how to deal with and address
personality disordered behavior, whether in yourself or others. No matter what
disorder you are dealing with, this new manual will give you the
techniques on how to heal yourself and deal with others. To read an excerpt from "Coping with the
Disorder", click here ...
Mood and
personality disorders can be the "Love Killers" of any relationship.
Knowledge about the disorder and in-depth therapy can make a difference. To
know more about the different mood and personality disorders and how to deal
with them, click here ...
Seeking
therapy but cannot find a therapist of your choice locally? Call me to
discuss Telephone Therapy. My Telephone Therapy program has been a successful
counterpart of my private practice for years, as it reaches out to help
those in need and provides my expertise to all regardless of location.
Don't let the lack of a professional in your area hold you back from becoming
all that you can be. For
more information on Telephone Therapy, click here ... One phone
call is all it takes!
Please contact
me if you need help. That's why my web site is called PsychotherapyHELP. From
Telephone Therapy to office consultations, there is a therapy program designed
to meetyour needs. Email or call 818-882-7404 for more information.
Warmest
regards,
Dr. Paul