Therapy: Change or Reflection?

As a therapist my belief is that a counselor needs to
be a change agent in the lives of clients. To provide
a safe place, in which hopefully over time, people will
feel strong enough to risk the changes they were seeking when
they came through my office door in the first place...helping them to cope, so they can navigate their lives is a less stressful way.

A few times however I have found,after challenging clients' beliefs in order to help them affect change that they do not desire change at all. What these clients are wanting out of our therapeutic time together is someone to listen and commenserate. More than once to my amazement, a client has pushed back hard against the challenge of change, asking only to come to my office weekly to have someone listen to them. They just want to be heard. Makes me wonder if one can affect change by providing a reflective pool?


Jodi H. Underhill MEd. LMHC Licensed Mental Health Counselor & Certified K-12 Guidance Counselor License #MH9166 Phone: 386.747.7148 Fax: 407.264.8289 www.junderhilltherapy.com