Yalom: Group Scenarios

Yalom & Leszcz states “Therapist help clients confirm or disconfirm their impressions of the therapists by gradually revealing more of themselves. The client is pressed to deal with the therapist as a real person in the here-and-now (2005, pg. 214). This is where self-awareness comes into play because as a group leader or therapist there are boundaries you should not cross ethical and morally for the sake of the therapeutic process. When considering how much to self-disclose or when is a right time to self-disclose. The reading expressed “ask yourself where the group is now. Is it a concealed, overly cautious group that may profit from a leader who models personal self-disclosure? Or has it already established vigorous self-disclosure norms and is in need of other kids of assistance? (Yalom & Leszcz, 2005, pg.

Goldfried, M.R., Burckell, L.A., & Eubanks-Carter, C. (2003). Therapist self-disclosure in cognitive-behavior therapy. Journal of Clinical Psychology, Special Issue: In Session, 59(5), 555-568.

First without the promise of confidentiality people needing treatment will not seek it. Second, Effective therapy requires the patients full disclosure of his or her innermost thoughts. Without assurance that the thoughts disclosed will not be revealed by the therapist, the patients could not overcome psychological barriers standing in the way of such revelations. Third, successful treatment itself

Dr. Yalom explains how to begin an initial session. He spends first 16 to 17 minutes to introduce group members, explain why did they come to the therapy (major issue), other therapies that they had or other group that they belonged to. In addition, couple people talk about how awkward was talk in front of people. Also, he builds group's norms such as supportive, encourager, making group safer and helping members to interact with one another. He mentions to an important norm that how members take responsibility about their own functions. He asks members to switch their judgments (e.g. first impression) and how do they feel about each other, which is a significant step. This step helps members to build their relationships and sharing feedbacks.

(Knight 2012) Knight uses an example of when a client asks for direct personal information about the clinician. If the clinician does not give the client that information, then the working relationship is undermined. Whereas if the clinician discloses information about themselves that the client has not asked for it can distract the client and it would not be beneficial to the relationship. (Knight, 2012)

The protagonist discussed the theme of disclosure where a patient may struggle with thoughts that he or she believes is unique to him or her and might find great difficulty in surpassing or to overcome. Yolam highlighted the fact that group counseling can be rewarding for patients suffering from a lack of disclosure where they are given the opportunity to listen to other persons with the same or

Freud originally thought that the ideal therapist needed to be a blank slate; that they needed to remain neutral and not project any of their own thought and experiences onto their clients (Henretty & Levitt, 2010). However, this is no longer widely believed to be true; social workers who are more client-centered believe that through therapy-relevant self-disclosure and by “modeling openness, strength, vulnerability, and the sharing of intense feelings,” clients will be able to learn from this behavior and become more trusting and empathetic (Kottler, 2003 & Knox, Peterson, & Hill, 1997 as cited in Henretty & Levitt, 2010). However, a majority of the training still warns against self-disclosure

Throughout the therapist’s journey, I think it is important to remember that all individuals want to be understood by others. Therefore, I agree that it is important for therapists to allow themselves to be vulnerable, and to let every experience throughout their journey be a meaningful learning experience. In addition, I believe therapists need to

Although the counselor-client confidentiality agreement exists and must be held with utmost importance, it is imperative for professional therapists and counselors to remain cognizant of the limitations to this rule. Confidentiality must be at the very core of the therapeutic relationship in order for the rehabilitative process to be successfully effective, which is the cornerstone of the counseling profession. When trust is broken or the confidentiality has been compromised, providing that breaking this agreement falls within its limitations, the expectancy of failure of the relationship is likely to ensue (Capuzzi & Gross, 2011). In this paper, I will attempt to

discussion with the therapist and enhances the assessment of the client in a confidential, relaxed

Some of the Advantages of Self-Disclosure in the Helping Relationship is that the client can identify itself with the helper based on their experiences. The helper can guide the client base on its own experience and it will be easier for the helper to understand the client. In addition, when the helper shares its personal experiences, thoughts, and feelings with its client this will help for the two to get to know each other better and bond in a better professional relationship. For example, a helper that had gone through a divorce can better understand a client going through that event. The helper can give the client some advice on how to deal with his or her feeling at that particular moment and how to overcome the heartache, disappointment,

Irvin Yalom (2012) initiates thought-provoking moment after thought-provoking moment in his work, “The Gift of Therapy: An Open Letter to a New Generation of Therapists and Their Patients.” There is an authentic yet profound air in Yalom’s work and in his recorded therapy. It would be difficult to sum up the importance of what Yalom addresses in one paper, but I will attempt to note the parts of Yalom’s writing which stood out most to me. I hope to cover Yalom’s thoughts on avoiding diagnosis, letting the patient matter, using the here and now, therapist transparency, feedback, and freed & responsibility as in-depth as possible. Moreover, I hope to address how these thoughts will impact my own approach to therapy and how they interact with my faith.

Self-disclosure is key to healthy relationships, “Self disclosure allows people to know themselves and those around them better” (Lamberton & Minor, 2014, p.54). This idea applies to nearly all aspects of one’s life both personally and professionally.

Therapy relationships with clients. The psychologist to patient relationship during therapy is a crucial aspect. It is within ethical guidelines that the psychologist clearly establish his role whether it be with an individual, group, or family therapist. These roles need to be understood for the variety of issues that may arise; one of which is the disclosure of information. Psychologists, for obvious reasons, are not to have sexual relationships with patients or former patients within a

Furthermore, It doesn’t seem the like the group responds very well to Beth. Perhaps by using more action skills to get the members invested in the group setting would provide better insight into how the group feels as a whole. As it seems that each person is struggling with separate issues in which others may not be accustom to dealing with. By using actions skills to gain a better understanding also promotes self-worth and respect from the group and