This is just a small list of some of the questions I ask my clients. Therapy is a dialogue and clients are a lot more comfortable with it when they have control of it and know what’s going on. Having said that, some clients prefer to have a session in complete silence.
It is totally up to the client.
- Have you seen another practitioner about this issue that you’ve brought to me?
- What sort of home care did that practitioner give to you? How has it worked for you?
- Can I write out/draw diagrams of the home care that I want you to start doing after this session?
- You can leave your cell phone on if you going to be on edge without it.
- Here is a plan of how you and I will be treating you today. You’re going to be lying down. I’ll start working here and then move to there and so on
- I want you to focus on relaxing your muscles in the areas where I’m working.
- I don’t want you to be thinking about things that stress you because that’s just going to make your muscles tighten up and reduce the effectiveness of what I’m trying to do.
- If I’m applying too much pressure (or not enough) tell me.
- What areas of your body do absolutely NOT want me to work on?
- We’re going to be working on the following areas. I can work there just as well if you are fully clothed. It’s up to you.
- I know we have agreed to work on these areas first and then these other areas next, BUT if you suddenly decide that you don’t want any work done on these areas, let me know.
- At any time if you feel that something is uncomfortable or “not quite right” let me know. This is your session, not mine.
(This post originally appeared on my Blogger site at: https://robhodgins.blogspot.com/2016/08/things-you-wish-your-therapist-would.html. I moved the post here after learning that Google planned to shut down its Google + service and I had concerns about its plans for Blogger.)