Hi,
I see 2 professionals for mental health issues, a support worker and counsellor.
Both are very professional and friendly people but they both have one major difference - self disclosure- telling you things about themselves.
My support worker will tell me things about herself and her life in our sessions, which makes her seem more human and can make the atmosphere more relaxing. Don't get me wrong she doesn't sit and talk all about herself but when its appropriate she will use her own life as an example to explain things to me.
My counsellor on the other hand does not talk about herself at all, in fact she is the completely opposite. She is very friendly but appart from her qualifications and stuff I dont know much about her, even though I have known her for just as long as the other worker.
I know it is not essential to know about the professional helping you, as the therapy is about the client and it is not a friendship but sometimes its nice to feel you know the person helping you a bit more and that they trust you to let you know simple things about themselves.
What do you think? Have you experienced professionals who do self disclose, who don't or are somewhere in the middle? Which do you think is better and why?
Just asking out of interest
I see 2 professionals for mental health issues, a support worker and counsellor.
Both are very professional and friendly people but they both have one major difference - self disclosure- telling you things about themselves.
My support worker will tell me things about herself and her life in our sessions, which makes her seem more human and can make the atmosphere more relaxing. Don't get me wrong she doesn't sit and talk all about herself but when its appropriate she will use her own life as an example to explain things to me.
My counsellor on the other hand does not talk about herself at all, in fact she is the completely opposite. She is very friendly but appart from her qualifications and stuff I dont know much about her, even though I have known her for just as long as the other worker.
I know it is not essential to know about the professional helping you, as the therapy is about the client and it is not a friendship but sometimes its nice to feel you know the person helping you a bit more and that they trust you to let you know simple things about themselves.
What do you think? Have you experienced professionals who do self disclose, who don't or are somewhere in the middle? Which do you think is better and why?
Just asking out of interest