I tend to like most of my clients. That helps a lot because I think they pick-up on the feeling that I believe they can do better than they are, and that I expect good things from them. We work together to try and promote positive changes, to get through the anxiety or other obstacles, and make things happen.
Sometime, nothing happens.
We talk about the issues, we talk about the bad habits, we talk about the things that keep them locked up, we delve into the deep reasons to explain how they got themselves to be where they are, and we design strategies to make changes.
Sometimes, still, nothing happens.
I was wandering around with my wife the other weekend and we ended up at one of those endless discount malls. I went into the Nike store to see if they had anything besides orange running shoes. I saw a pile of old Nike Tee-shirts, the ones that say "Just Do It." for $10 a piece.
Two days later I am sitting in my office talking to one of these people and I suddenly regretted that I didn't buy a dozen of those shirts. At critical times I need to just give them out.
There comes a time at which I feel I have talked about it, whatever "it" is, enough, and some action is required. Perhaps a bright orange Tee-shirt would get the message across.
4 comments:
If you want something you've never had you have to do something you've never done. Well that is what my stepfather has always told me.
Having spent sometime in therapy I can slightly relate to your clients. Sometimes, it's more theraputic to talk about what you want to do, rather than get off your lazy butt and do it. I am a classic procrastinator. However, I completely understand how frustating that can be to the people I spout my woes to. And yes, sometimes and orange t-shirt does help us along.
I think that is a great idea, therapist. I want a few, in fact, as that has become my motto. It seems that those three little words are too much for the general population to understand....dammit man...just do it!
OR...It could just re-start the cycle they are in of relating ALL the reasons why they can't "Just Do It." After all, if they did something to correct/remove their problem, what would their identity be then?
it's not necessarily procrastination, or laziness, or lack of desire to change... how about peeling the onion layer by layer, gently rather than chopping it off all at once?
To my opinion,
"just do it" forgets the survival factors put in place at the time of trauma, factors that allowed to live as normal a life as possible
"just do it" forgets the other's needs
"just do it" lacks any kind of compassion
"just do it" is patronising
How about "well done" instead when something happens?
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