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I am seeing a patient in primary care for brief therapy. I am being tempted to share personal details and anecdotes about my life that I am not normally tempted to do with other patients. Nothing wild or inappropriate in terms of the content, just certain interests and interesting facts/stories that I know she might like or get a kick out of. Yes, the patient is female. She is in her 50s and I don't think this is ANY way sexual, but I still wonder why this is?
She is one of the few patient who has ever really engaged/asked me about the few personal effects I keep in my office (hence my temptation to elaborate on them), and I do have quite a bit of sympathy for her and her story and situation-perhaps more than the typical patient I see. This is also a bit strange too though, because there is nothing particularly unusually or unique about her history and presentation. Before anyone asks, no, she does not look like my mother or remind me of her in any way.
Maybe some part of me thinks this will further the therapy, or maybe its just selfish indulgence? I dont know.
I'm not keen on the psychoanalytic idea of the rigid "therapeutic frame", but do have to wonder why this is happening with this patient, and if what I am tempted to do is perhaps more "professionally inappropriate" than I may be seeing here in the moment?
Thoughts?
She is one of the few patient who has ever really engaged/asked me about the few personal effects I keep in my office (hence my temptation to elaborate on them), and I do have quite a bit of sympathy for her and her story and situation-perhaps more than the typical patient I see. This is also a bit strange too though, because there is nothing particularly unusually or unique about her history and presentation. Before anyone asks, no, she does not look like my mother or remind me of her in any way.
Maybe some part of me thinks this will further the therapy, or maybe its just selfish indulgence? I dont know.
I'm not keen on the psychoanalytic idea of the rigid "therapeutic frame", but do have to wonder why this is happening with this patient, and if what I am tempted to do is perhaps more "professionally inappropriate" than I may be seeing here in the moment?
Thoughts?
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