#14 in Books about psychotherapy
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Reddit mentions of Power in the Helping Professions
Sentiment score: 2
Reddit mentions: 2
We found 2 Reddit mentions of Power in the Helping Professions. Here are the top ones.
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Used Book in Good Condition
Specs:
| Height | 8.46 Inches |
| Length | 5.48 Inches |
| Number of items | 1 |
| Release date | May 1998 |
| Weight | 0.5 Pounds |
| Width | 0.5 Inches |
There are theories about the 'helping' professions (therapists, doctors, teachers, religious leaders, cops) attract psychopaths because of the power these positions give them.
See Adolf Guggenbuhl-Craig's book Power in the Helping Professions.
Great question!
While I appreciate the person you respect's opinion, I completely disagree. You wrote:
"I recently was emphatically encouraged by someone I really respect to never ever to praise clients or make anything resembling a positive evaluation because it will take away from client's autonomy and put us in a position of power (to decide how good they and their actions are)."
We are already in a position of power. Clients are -- consciously or unconsiously -- coming to us to feedback on "how good they and their actions are". See:
https://www.amazon.com/Disabling-Professions-Ideas-Progress-Illich/dp/0714525103/ref=sr_1_13?crid=2OPIBTS3V0NUF&keywords=ivan+illich&qid=1554578467&s=books&sprefix=illich%2Cstripbooks%2C149&sr=1-13
... and ...
https://www.amazon.com/Witchdoctors-Psychiatrists-Common-Psychotherapy-Revised/dp/0060970243/ref=sr_1_fkmrnull_1?keywords=torrey+psychotherapy&qid=1554578567&s=gateway&sr=8-1-fkmrnull
Let's not pretend we are not in a position of power as therapists, for this way lies dragons. Let's recognize that power and use to for good.
See also:
https://www.amazon.com/Power-Helping-Professions-Adolf-Guggenbuhl-Craig/dp/0882143042
I was trained in psychodynamic perspectives, and I got the whole, "don't express praise for clients" thing in my training. While I value much of my psychodynamic training, for me personally this (praising clients) is an area I have come around 180 degrees quite strongly.
Life can be crushing for so many people we see. And (I began to ask myself) we're withholding praise?!? Further, I was taught to adopt a "neutral" stance. For many of us, we've been raised to recognize that "neutral" means "bad", so I would argue that it is impossible to for anyone to truly be neutral in therapy.
So yes, I praise. Always with sensitivity to client needs and dynamics, but I praise.
It seems to work ... both for me and my clients.
Then again, I might be wrong.
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