Does anyone else have a different "clinical personality"?

[futureapppsy2]

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Admittedly, I don't have much experience working with clients, only co-running groups, but I've noticed that in many ways, I act differently when I'm working with clients--more reserved, more deeply questioning, definitely more motivational interview-y. It's somewhat conscious (some of the MI stuff) and somewhat just a function of the different relationship/context.

 

[KillerDiller]

I find I'm much sweeter when I'm speaking with clients than when I'm in other social situations. In the latter cases, I'm usually very sarcastic.

 

[cara susanna]

I don't have clinical experience in the real sense yet, but this is from the clinical situations I have been in. I'm normally a very opinionated person and it's hard for me to not say what I feel, but when I'm with people in that setting I manage to not say anything. When I say that, btw, I mean things like politics, taste in books and movies, etc..

 

[Neuropsych2be]

I am much more restrained when working with clients. I feel I should model behavior for them. But after engaging in a set of behaviors for a long period of time (I have 20 years of experience in the field) my "clinical personality" has become an aspect of myself. I think its related to that quote by William James about habits becoming part of one's character. But yes in my case I slip on a "therapist" role/persona when working with clients.

 

[deleted176373]

The wife always tells me that she doesn't want to play with Dr. Mark anymore when I slip into that mode of behavior... so yes, my clinical persona is much different.

Mark

 

[psychmama]

I'd agree that I'm different in my clinical work than in other social situations. I'm less disclosing, and I must curb my natural extroverted tendencies to talk too much. Having said that, I've noticed that I'm becoming a little more "real" with patients as I go along in my training. I've found that I sometimes do my best work when a bit of my true personality, quirks and all, comes through in a session. I think clients want their therapists to be relatable, and they'll forgive some steps outside of role if it means they can experience you as authentic rather than a "phony".

I believe the challenge is finding your own style that allows you to connect with patients while maintaining the basic therapeutic frame. I think this is a process that probably takes years to develop and fine-tune as a therapist.

 

[Neuropsych2be]

The wife always tells me that she doesn't want to play with Dr. Mark anymore when I slip into that mode of behavior... so yes, my clinical persona is much different.

Mark

Mark

My girlfriend has an M.A. in counseling and an Ed.S. in school psychology and lots of clinical experience. When she is upset and I speak with her about it I get the following response: "Don't you use your clinical skills on me. I've been a therapist too and I can tell when you are using them so STOP IT NOW!" She wants me to be the real me not the therapist me if that makes sense.

 

[krisrox]

The wife always tells me that she doesn't want to play with Dr. Mark anymore when I slip into that mode of behavior... so yes, my clinical persona is much different.

Mark

Whenever I slip into my clinical-persona, my boyfriend always has to remind me that he's not one of my kids at work. I don't really get it, I mean the only difference between he and them is they're 15-18 years old and they all have MR......

 

[deleted176373]

Whenever I slip into my clinical-persona, my boyfriend always has to remind me that he's not one of my kids at work. I don't really get it, I mean the only difference between he and them is they're 15-18 years old and they all have MR......

What difference??? LOL.

 

[deleted176373]

Mark

My girlfriend has an M.A. in counseling and an Ed.S. in school psychology and lots of clinical experience. When she is upset and I speak with her about it I get the following response: "Don't you use your clinical skills on me. I've been a therapist too and I can tell when you are using them so STOP IT NOW!" She wants me to be the real me not the therapist me if that makes sense.

Yes, that makes total sense... my wife wants the real me, which is quite a bit edgier than my clinical persona.

 

[PhillyPsych]

I have definitely noticed this too, and interestingly enough I seem to change depending on the person or group I am working with. For instance when I lead my group for homeless adults I am totally different than when I am with my teenage abuse victims. And those persona's are vastly different than my default "real world" persona, like others have said I don't know how many times friends and family have told me to "stop using my psychology on them" , it seems to become automatic sometimes 😕

 

[appelsoranjes]

I believe such alterations in behavior are commonplace, not just for clinicians. Situational influences will promote the differential expression of personality - I'm sure a Judge will act differently in the courtroom than he would in the bar with his buddies. It's called being human🙂

The one difference is that the situational variables in clinical situations can easily get triggered outside the therapy room, whereas that would be highly unlikely with a judge.

 

[ClinicalTrainee]

I feel quite different when with clients than with friends. With clients I am able to really focus on what they are saying, ask questions and reflect. With friends I have a hard time not interjecting a personal story or taking the conversation in more of a direction that *I* would like. I often wish that I could bring more of my clinical personality into my friendships because I am clearly a better listener when I really focus on the other person, but that just doesn't always work. It probably shouldn't always work, either, because self-disclosure is a natural part of friendships and friendly conversations.