Blunders

Hello- recently I have been thinking of clinical blunders. Believe it or not- therapists are not perfect! We sometimes misunderstand our clients. We might write the time of an appointment down wrong and miss a session (occasionally!) We might assume we know what you think and feel and forget to check with you about your own life!! All of these blunders and more can be more than mistakes, they can present an opportunity for you!

In a therapeutic relationship (you and your counselor) you have the opportunity to try on new behaviors when you are angry, disappointed, feel unheard or somehow missed. Most people, in their personal lives, when hurt or angry or disappointed tend to follow the same patterns of ‘stuffing’ the feelings, ‘denying the problem,’ ‘blowing up’ over the issue or even cut people completely out of their lives. In a counseling relationship you have the chance to appropriately call out the problem and ask for what you would like different from your counselor. The expectation is that your counselor- though human- is actually a good person who made a mistake- not an actually untrustworthy or harmful person who doesn’t care at all!! In being able to speak to your counselor about how you actually think and feel, even when you are hurt, disappointed, angry or feeling missed you get to practice and see what works for you!!

Considering all therapists at Cedar Valley Counseling work for or are contracted to work with me I can guarantee to you that each of the counselors is good hearted, growing and willing to meet with you to help you reach your goals. Give counseling a try- we can’t bring you soup, go out for coffee or visit you at home but the relationship is REAL- we care about you and want the best for you and your life. Angela Olson for Cedar Valley Counseling