Nine years ago our son was seriously injured; our lives, previously so private, suddenly became very exposed. As a therapist in a small community, I do not have the luxury of much privacy or anonymity. When I experienced this sudden crisis, practical and psychodynamic issues came into play in my therapeutic relationships. My husband and I each have private practices with offices in the same building and previously also in our home. We faced new challenges while attempting to provide for our clients and care for our son. There were issues of coverage for our practice, how much information about our crisis to reveal, and coping once we felt ready to return to work. Likewise, we have colleagues who have also experienced turmoil in their personal lives from serious illness or addiction, death of a spouse, or divorce. This article is a result of conversations with some of these colleagues as well as our own experience. The article addresses the issues therapists struggle when in a crisis, such as losing privacy, setting limitations on work, handling client reactions, and becoming aware of and managing feelings and behaviors when one is vulnerable. It also offers suggestions to therapists for preparing to meet client needs in the event such crises arise.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.