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Essay / The importance of explicit communication of...
The myth of value-neutral psychotherapy has been shattered. Trainee therapists are encouraged to examine their personal assumptions and biases and increase their own self-awareness, so as not to impose their values on psychotherapy clients. However, no one is free from their values, and sometimes a psychologist may need to discuss their values with clients for the following reasons: First, theories of psychotherapy have value-laden elements and they are often hidden or taken for granted; these values may not match what customers want. Clients therefore have the right to know them in order to make informed choices regarding their treatments. Furthermore, sometimes psychologists cannot put aside their values in psychotherapy; their values are communicated through what they do and how they do it – the way psychologists interact with their clients as well as in their theoretical orientations or treatment modalities. As a result, clients are likely to be influenced by the values of their therapists. Again, clients have the right to know what types of influences they will be exposed to during their treatment. Therefore, in this article I argue that values should be openly discussed in therapy in the best interests of clients. As mentioned, psychotherapy is no longer considered value-free or value-neutral, and therapists need to be aware of this. their own values and remember them when dealing with customers. However, according to Patterson (1998), some psychologists claim the legitimacy of transmitting certain values. Naturally, this is more true among religiously oriented psychologists than in pastoral counseling. However, Patterson (1986) also listed psychologists who teach certain values without religious affiliation...... middle of article....... Journal of Counseling Psychology, 27(4), 305-314. Retrieved from http://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&btnG=Search&q=intitle:Effects+of+Value-Communication+Style+and+Similarity+of+Values+on+Counselor+Evaluation#0.Patterson, C. (1989). Values of counseling and psychotherapy. VALUES IN COUNSELING AND PSYCHOTHERAPY, 33, 164-176. Retrieved from http://www.sageofasheville.com/pub_downloads/VALUES_IN_COUNSELING_AND_PSYCHOTHERAPY.pdf.Rosenthal, D. (1955). Changes in certain moral values following psychotherapy. Journal of Counseling Psychology, 19(6), 431-6. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/13271630. Smith, A. (2000). The inescapably ethical character of psychotherapy. Journal of Theoretical and Philosophical Psychology. Retrieved from http://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&btnG=Search&q=intitle:The+inescapably+ethical+character+of+psychotherpy#0.