1. Occupational Silence

Silence in the therapy room is not in fashion at the moment. Strategies, courses, reading, exercises & self help is what the profession promotes. Rather than wait for something to emerge from a quiet silence of Free Association: doing is immediately more satisfying. Accompaniment with curiousity creating a deeper relational depth is too slow too inactive.

Ask counsellors in training they say they want to help. To rescue? But under a more detailed scrutiny it is our own pain of hopelessness and helplessness that we all want to avoid. We work like ships passing in the night. We want to rescue ourselves. But it is too hard and painful. So we try to rescue others.

The profession has evolved. The emphasis was firstly on own therapy, then supervision then training. Now with the industrialisation of the profession the emphasis is firstly on training, then supervision, then own therapy.
This is a reflection of the world. Quick on the click. Value for money. Action Thought Outcome. Rational measuring.

Andy Rogers says it better:
Don’t just do something: The vanishing art of sitting there in counselling & psychotherapy
through the music of Talk Talk and examples of different therapy approaches

https://www.andyrogerscounselling.com/therapy-blog/2024/12/09/dont-just-do-something-vanishing-art-sitting-there-counselling-psychotherapy

 

Copyright Adrian Scott North London Counsellor Blog 2025
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This weblog is the view of the writer and for general information only.
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