Under what circumstance should a therapist lie to his or her patient? Is it allowed in their profession?
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Under what circumstance should a therapist lie to his or her patient? Is it allowed in their profession?
One of the foundations of a therapeutic relationship is authenticity and honesty. That has to go both ways. An ethical therapist would never lie to their clients. We are trained in ways to give honest, even blunt, feedback if we need to.
I don’t know if this is part of what you’re asking, but sometimes my clients hear what they want to hear or expect to hear and not what I actually said. Part of what makes them clients is the tendency to misinterpret what other people say and do. It amazes me how often they hear an acknowledging statement as agreement.
Although I cannot answer as to whether therapists are allowed to lie or not, I can tell you that in my opinion, no reputable therapist ever will. Mine has always been very upfront and honest with me to the point of being brutal. But, she and I developed a very strong rapport, I trust her completely, and nearly everything she ever told me has come to pass in time. When she tells me things I don’t want to hear, and I complain, she simply shrugs her shoulders and says “I’m sorry!” It’s during those times I know she is telling me what I need to hear instead of what I want to hear. I think sometimes they let you take small bites of what you need to hear so as not to overwhelm you and make you run away. They ultimately want to help you if you are interested in helping yourself so the last thing they want you to do is go off and suffer silently with your issues.