Having a therapist who “gets you” can offer several significant benefits:
- Enhanced Comfort and Trust: When a therapist understands you well, you’re likely to feel more comfortable and open during sessions. This trust can lead to more honest and productive conversations.
- For example, there is this feeling when you are with “your people”. It’s an immediate sense of connection that is created when you know someone else that likes things you like — it can create rapport immediately which is a HUGE factor in therapeutic success.
- Tailored Approaches: A therapist who understands your unique background, values, and experiences can tailor therapeutic techniques to better suit your needs and goals.
- Greater Empathy: Feeling truly understood can foster a deeper sense of empathy from the therapist, which can validate your experiences and emotions, contributing to a more supportive therapeutic relationship.
- Effective Communication: When a therapist gets you, they can communicate in ways that resonate with you, making it easier to process and integrate their insights and guidance.
- Increased Motivation: Feeling understood can enhance your motivation to engage with the therapy process and work towards personal growth and change.
This is not to say that you want a therapist who is going to be your best friend – there are serious considerations to the boundaries within a therapeutic relationship that limit friendship outside of therapy.
However, I’ve had many clients shout “yes!” from their seats when they are trying to explain something and I am able to get the concept through a common media reference. Overall, a therapist who gets you can create a more effective and meaningful therapeutic experience.
Connections Creative Arts Therapy 