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Moving toward Equality in Therapy

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Advocate Stance of Curiosity As the therapist, it is our job to be curious and investigators because otherwise clients will not reveal enough. “Practitioners may find it helpful to ask questions informed by an awareness…” (Knudson-Martin & Mahoney, 2009, p. 59). By asking informed questions about how a client’s present “patterns of behavior” have been maintained, therapists can help them define what kind of relationships they want. Asking these educated questions, issues can become externalized and shown as an illustration of larger problems outside them and their control.
This curiosity is brought about through vulnerability and self-honesty by part of the client. (Knudson-Martin, 2013) When this vulnerability is present, the …show more content…

When we advocate for clients, our own biases and power privilege may come into play. (Garcia & McDowell, 2010, p. 105) Genuine participation is important for therapists to be able to see how biases can contribute to the dynamics of therapy. We should avoid taking the position of being the only advocate for a client, but rather have an understanding that resources must be obtained to assist families and individuals. Informed questions related to advocating for clients and to ensuring our biases do not come into play can assist in this process. As the therapist for a client, I also see him and his father for family sessions at a separate time. It is hard not to take sides with the client, because my own bias sees the father as codependent and trying to control and change his son. Therapy has truly been a test in being aware of my bias and not allowing them to come into the space.
Listen for Context
When clients tell stories, it is important to know what the context of these stories is so to fully understand where they are coming from. Context may not always be obvious and blatant to the client, let alone us as the clinician. When it is difficult to understand a client, it is important to know the context to better serve them. There are not many questions that can help a therapist listen for context, but there are some that can help in the process of clarifying. Questions asking for description and more detail about

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