Do You Like Your Therapist?
The relationship you have with your therapist will impact how helpful psychological or “talk” therapy will be for you. In fact, your relationship with your therapist will be a better predictor of how well you do then the specific techniques they use. The client-therapist relationship has a number of aspects that have been found to be particularly important, including agreeing with your therapist on what your goals are, agreeing on how you will reach those goals, feeling understood by your therapist, and feeling comfortable expressing your thoughts and feelings without feeling judged. If you have concerns about your relationship with your therapist it is important that you discuss these concerns with your therapist. The majority of therapists understand the importance of the client-therapist relationship and the general “fit”, and skilled therapists will have had experience discussing such issues with their clients in a non-defensive way. Dr. Van Blyderveen, a psychologist with New Leaf Psychology Centre, along with associates and students at McMaster University, hope to learn more about the client-therapist relationship.
If you are at least 16 years of age, currently in therapy, or have been within the last year, follow the link below to participate in the study by completing on online survey.
Check back later for the results of this study.