Should my therapist be able to put herself in my shoes?

[Marvin1971]

My therapy sessions are, on the whole, hopeless mainly as I have extremely difficult and somewhat unusual circumstances and problems and my therapist doesn’t know what to do.

However, today she essentially said that she could advise what she might do in my circumstances but that probably wouldn’t help me because she wasn’t me, bringing my particular personality, outlook, concerns etc to the problem. I agree that it is no good solving the problem for herself but what has been happening over the past 15 or so sessions if she hasn’t been building up some sort of picture of who I am? Should she not be able to put herself in my shoes - at least to some extent.

If therapists can’t or don’t do this, how do they recommend treatment plans for patients? Does a patient’s personality/ outlook/ values etc play no role in that at all?

 

[may71]

I think therapists often don't give practical advice about how to handle particular situations. If you want her to advise you, you could ask what she would do, or her best practical advice, with the understanding that you might not like what she has to say.

 

[MAC0]

I agree with I found mine would say stuff in each session but they would not give me advice on how to deal with things that might come up it was more to boast my confidence

take the fact i have not left the house since November he would say go out people will not judge what people think is there problem but they gave me no advice when that first punch of someone doing something judging me and how that makes you feel

for me therapy was all about them bringing down my numbers where suicide was concerned