Posted by mila on May 2, 2001, at 10:48:14
In reply to Re: WHAT DO PEOPLE LOOK FOR IN A PSYCHOLOGIST? » mila, posted by KS on May 2, 2001, at 8:37:28
===As a Psychologist, I am frustrated that I do not get enough *frank* feed back about what users of my service(s) have found helpful, very helpful, completely unhelpful,irritating mannerisms, possible improvements on services, etc.
My hunch is that you and 'them' see you as an authority in the session, and that it is up to you to open the gates for such a conversation to ensue. Have YOU ever spoke to them about waht you have found helpful, very helpful, completely unhelpful,irritating mannerisms, possible improvements , etc. in THEIR demeanor? The way you do it gives them a pattern to follow when you move to the discussion of the same about your personal and therapeutic demeanor.
When I work with my clients I find that this stragegy effectively unseals their mouths. If they DO see you as an authority, they are in a double bind, bound to reply, or they wouldn't get any beter (LOL). Of course, brief education about benefits of such exploration should take place prior to engaging in tell-it-all adventure sure as hell pregnant with both rewards and threats.
The most important thing for you to realize here is that you have to be who you are today, or otherwise you are delivering a poor service to your clients. If interest in interpersonal learning is what drives you today, let it shine forth. Appreciate your own dynamics, your clients do not see you as carved in stone anyway. A year ago patients had to satisfy themselves with different Kevin-psychologist, 10 years from now it would be something different from today (I hope).
to help you get this thing going, first recall your training experiences. you must have had at least a minimal amount of experience with group therapy and with psychoanalysis. These two are big on interpersonal feedback.
Next, read Irving Yalom. Especially relevant is his article Interpersonal Learning (Psychiatry Updates: The American Psychiatric Association Annual Review. v.5. 1986. pp.699-713). His fiction is very good too (the main character is always himself, a psychotherapist, or a psychiatrist). Try Love's Executioner, Mommy Dearest, When Nietzsche Wept, Lying on the Couch, Yalom Reader... Top it all with his groundbreaking volumes Group Psychotherapy, and Existential Psychotherapy. He has also released a 5 videocassettes set on Group psychotherapy. He discusses all the questions you have raised here about feedback and "constructive criticising your mental health care professional"
And finally, experiment. There is a joke among psychologists: 'Private practice is a place where you practice privately":) Allow yourself some space for "mistakes", rely on the Trial-and-Error-and-Error-and-Error Method of achieving excellence. You and your patients deserve the very best of you, but they also deserve the very humble of you, if you know what I mean:)
mila
poster:mila
thread:5827
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20010417/msgs/5831.html