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Member 446398 · 04-23-2012, 04:35 PM

I am practicing as an LAPC at the moment. I have 3 tattoos, two of them are on the inside of my bicep of each arm, fairly large. I work with kids, and I often wear short sleeve shirts or polos and sometimes my tattoos become exposed. The kids don't mind. I once had a parent state to me that they were offensive to her because from where she came from she interpreted tattoos as a gang symbol. Mine are religious in nature, I explained it, but she still didn't like it, and they terminated therapy early. It can go either way.

Also, as another poster put it, it is a form of self disclosure. There have been a few times where my tattoos peeked out and I had to explain their non-Christian significance to strongly Christian clients earlier than I would have preferred in the course of the therapeutic relationship.

04-23-2012, 04:35 PM	#28
Member 446398 Member Join Date: Jan 2012 Posts: 82	I am practicing as an LAPC at the moment. I have 3 tattoos, two of them are on the inside of my bicep of each arm, fairly large. I work with kids, and I often wear short sleeve shirts or polos and sometimes my tattoos become exposed. The kids don't mind. I once had a parent state to me that they were offensive to her because from where she came from she interpreted tattoos as a gang symbol. Mine are religious in nature, I explained it, but she still didn't like it, and they terminated therapy early. It can go either way. Also, as another poster put it, it is a form of self disclosure. There have been a few times where my tattoos peeked out and I had to explain their non-Christian significance to strongly Christian clients earlier than I would have preferred in the course of the therapeutic relationship.