Therapists are human beings, and therefore are subject to their own dysfunctional beliefs at times. This is most problematic when the therapist's maladaptive beliefs center on their patients and the therapist fails to take stock of these beliefs.
Some of the more commonly encountered therapist beliefs (cf. Beck et al. 1993) include:
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"This patient is a loser."
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"This patient is beyond help."
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"This patient will never listen to me."
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"Why can't I reach this patient? What am I doing wrong?
I'm going to have to give up on working with this patient."
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"You can't be collaborative with this type of patient. If you give them an inch,
they'll take a mile. Therefore, I will not budge from my position one iota."
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"This case is more trouble and responsibility than I can bear."
When therapists find themselves having such thoughts, it presents them with an excellent opportunity to use cognitive therapy techniques on themselves (Newman 1994b). This strategy can help therapists moderate their own hopelessness and frustration enough to still be able to provide good will and an earnest effort. The end result is that the therapeutic relationship will continue to have a positive effect on the process of treatment, rather than being a hindrance. Additionally, the therapist will have gained a deeper understanding of the nature of the patient's typical interpersonal difficulties in everyday life.
The following
is a sampling of rational response flashcards that therapists can personally
develop to help them modify counterproductive beliefs about drug abusing
patients
(cf. Beck et al. 1993):
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"There have been a number of sessions in which the patient and I have worked very well together. Those were rewarding experiences that I must not forget."
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"Let me try to understand my patient's resistant thoughts and behaviors, rather than simply label her a troublemaker."
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"This power struggle is a great opportunity to get at some really hot interpersonal cognitions!"
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"If I keep my cool, present my point of view calmly, and also show that I'm willing to be flexible within reason, I'll probably get a lot more therapeutic mileage out of this conflict than I will if I become strident or stubborn."
