Is it normal for your counsellor ...
For support and advice relating to mental health. Please note: we have a strict policy relating to self harm and suicide threads - please read the H&R guidelines before posting.
| Announcements | Posted on | |
|---|---|---|
| TSR launches Learn Together! - Our new subscription to help improve your learning | 16-05-2013 | |
-
- Reputation:
- Thread Starter
- Full Member
- Location: Manchester, England
- Posts: 108
Is it normal for your counsellor ...... to cry during a session?
I went to counselling for the first time in five years today to try to get a handle on my mood, my bucket o' issues, and being a happy independant person etc. Anyway, the first session is obviously explaining these things and skimming the problems so they have an idea about what you need. So I talked, I cried a lot and all that business. I got really upset. For most of it he was quiet, except for pointing out certain things that I said and so on and so forth, but I noticed at one point that he was crying. Not sobbing or tears streaming down the face, but there was definitely tears welling up in his eyes. I'm unsure about how I felt about this - is this appropriate? :/ -
- Reputation:
- Full Member
- Location: Leicester
- Posts: 145
Re: Is it normal for your counsellor ...I honestly have no idea but i wouldn't like it. It's nice that they're human and empathetic and all but if i saw a counsellor and they started crying i'd feel concerned for THEM and feel bad for making them cry. You don't need that! They're supposed to be the ones helping you.
-
- Reputation:
- Respected Member
- Posts: 234
Re: Is it normal for your counsellor ...That is true. It is not a comfortable situation and did feel like I should be comforting them instead.(Original post by Anna150)
I honestly have no idea but i wouldn't like it. It's nice that they're human and empathetic and all but if i saw a counsellor and they started crying i'd feel concerned for THEM and feel bad for making them cry. You don't need that! They're supposed to be the ones helping you. -
- Reputation:
- Community Assistant
- PS Helper
- Vengeful, Imperial Overlord of The Student Room
- Location: London
- Posts: 3,537
Re: Is it normal for your counsellor ...Depends what you were saying. If it was something that hit close to home for him then I could see why. But generally no, it's not normal or professional to do so.
-
- Anonymous poster #1
Re: Is it normal for your counsellor ...I don't think that sounds appropriate really, I realise everyone has feelings but I would imagine you go into the profession knowing at some point you are going to hear things which might make you angry or that might be hard to listen to but you just have to remain neutral. My therapist actually told me to say anything and everything without worrying it might not be nice to for her to hear because it wasn't her job to be upset about it, it was her job to help me work through it. I think it did help for me to hear that, I suspect I'd not continue to see someone who welled up or full on cried!
-
- Reputation:
- Adored and Respected Member
- Posts: 420
Re: Is it normal for your counsellor ...The same thing happened to me! A was telling my counsellor something bad that happened in my past and he definitely had tears in his eyes. It actually happened more than once and I felt really bad about it, so it was a bit awkward to talk to him again.
-
- Reputation:
- PS Helper
- TSR Legend
- Location: Yorkshire
- Posts: 12,773
Re: Is it normal for your counsellor ...Counsellors are professionas, but they are also humans. It would be inappropriate to spend the entire session sobbing, but having tears welling up, to me, just shows how in-tune with you they are, that they are obviously empathising and are open to you.
-
- Reputation:
- Banned
- Posts: 866
- Warning points: 1000
Re: Is it normal for your counsellor ...what made him cry?(Original post by KTCI)
... to cry during a session?
I went to counselling for the first time in five years today to try to get a handle on my mood, my bucket o' issues, and being a happy independant person etc. Anyway, the first session is obviously explaining these things and skimming the problems so they have an idea about what you need. So I talked, I cried a lot and all that business. I got really upset. For most of it he was quiet, except for pointing out certain things that I said and so on and so forth, but I noticed at one point that he was crying. Not sobbing or tears streaming down the face, but there was definitely tears welling up in his eyes. I'm unsure about how I felt about this - is this appropriate? :/
