Jeff Levy, LCSW
Mental Health, Relationships, Trauma, Identity
1/6/2019 0 Comments Why Are You Telling Me This?Jeff Levy, LCSW (originally posted on Branching Out: The Live Oak Blog, March 2014) I am a therapist. I am white. I am a man. I am a little beyond middle aged. I am in a relationship. I am organized. I like the color blue. I like plants. I like dogs. I like turning flea market finds into useful furniture. I have a bad back. I am Jewish. I am busy.
Knowing Without Telling Why am I telling you all of these things about me? Why would I begin with these statements about myself? I share these before you know anything else about this blog because these are self-disclosures—and my clients know many, if not all, of these things about me while making a first appointment and/or within a few minutes of sitting with me. In looking at me, my office, and through the process of scheduling a first appointment, I have “disclosed” an incredible amount of information about myself.
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1/6/2019 0 Comments Crossing the LinesJeff Levy, LCSW (originally posted on Branching Out: The Live Oak Blog, February 2014) Marty consistently talked about his garden each time we met for therapy. It was his greatest source of pride and, since he retired, where he spent most of his time. He described it in great detail, often telling me about new plants he had bought or perennials he had transplanted. He brought in pictures of his garden frequently and eventually asked me directly if I would come see it. Rob had been in therapy several times before seeing me. He was insistent that it had helped, but he wanted to work on some very specific issues that he read were areas of expertise for me. In our initial phone conversation, he shared that he lived several hours away and it would be extremely difficult to see me weekly. He also shared that he lived in a small community and he didn’t want to see anyone with whom he may have contact in his daily life. He asked if I would consider seeing him for two-hour sessions, once per month. Jeff Levy, LCSW (originally posted on Branching Out: The Live Oak Blog, February 2014) Relationship Defined: “an emotional or other connection between people”
When I begin meeting with someone, I try to make a point of discussing how therapy works. I talk about the importance of the content of our sessions, and I talk about the importance of exploring the relationship that evolves between us. I share that what we talk about is important and equally important is how we are talking about it; how our relationship develops. |
Archives
February 2019
CategoriesAll AIDS Anger Apologizing Asking Questions In Sessions Authenticity Beginnings And Endings Being The Expert Boundaries Boundary Crossing Boundary Violations Breaks From Therapy Collaboration Between Therapists Coming Out Compassion Fatigue Contact Between Sessions Continuity Between Sessions Courage Crying Death Depression Disclosure Disclosure And Technology Dogs Email Emotional Support Animals Emotions Empathy Ending Psychotherapy Endings Expectations Experiments Failure Finances Forgiveness Framing Therapy Fraudulence Gifts Goals Grief Happiness Healing Rituals HIV Holding Back Homework Honesty Hope Human Animal Bond Identity Imposter Injuries Interpersonal Neurobiology Intersectionality Long Term Therapy Loss Loving Yourself Memory Metaphors In Psychotherapy Microaggressions Money Multiple Identities Neurophysiology New Information New Normal Normal Not Knowing Pain Physical Contact Positive Emotions Present Moment Priorities Privacy Questions Rage Real Relationships Resentment Resolution Rites Of Passage Rituals Rupture And Repair Sadness Safe Spaces Safety Safety Plan Safety Versus Comfort Secrecy Session Structure Short Term Therapy Silence Stigma And Mental Health Suicide Survival Strategies Themes In Psychotherapy Therapist Client Relationships Touch Trauma Trigger Warnings Values Vicarious Resilience Vicarious Trauma |