Summary Of Kottler's 'On Being A Therapist'

Within Chapter 10 of On Being a Therapist, Kottler (2010) discusses the many lies therapists tell themselves and others, as it relates to the counseling profession. This chapter was very eye opening, in that it brought to the forefront the fact that therapists openly lie to themselves and others, in order to work in such a complex and unpredictable field. Over time, I think therapists become accustomed to lying to themselves and others, as it becomes second nature. I believe therapists reasoning behind lying stems from wanting to avoid facing the truth; as the truth can be overwhelming for some individuals to deal with. However, I also believe that therapists become accustomed to a certain level of truth from their clients and themselves.
One of the major lies I believe therapists tell themselves, is that their influence over clients is not as significant as the average layperson would expect it to be. I think therapists tell themselves this lie, in an effort to reduce the pressure they experience as it pertains to helping facilitate client change. In addition, I believe therapists heavily influence their clients, and can help lead clients to make progress in their treatment. I think therapists should keep in mind that some of their clients look to them as a consistent support system, which can in itself help a client work towards change. I do not see any benefit in therapists telling themselves that they have no effect on their clients, as this simply is not true. The therapeutic relationship is extremely important in counseling, and I think this alone helps contradict the lie therapists tell themselves about the impact they have on their clients. Apart of the counseling profession involves putting the client’s needs first, and giving them undivided attention during counseling sessions. Kottler (2010) mentions in this