This month’s question for The People’s Therapist gets to the heart of how psychotherapy – “talk therapy” – actually works:
Why is psychotherapy conducted exclusively face-to-face, rather than in writing? I find that I express myself much more clearly and precisely in writing, after having had the chance to ruminate on my response — it’s one of the reasons I’m pursuing law as a career. I’ll bet this is something I share with other lawyers and law students. Having time to consider my response also reduces the risk that when I happen to have my precious hour in session, I’ll be guarded and not in a very sharing mood, and the hour will be unproductive for the both of us. Having the written word as an intermediary allows me to present myself much more honestly.
Thanks,
M
And here’s my response:
To submit a question to Ask The People’s Therapist, please email it as text or a video to: wmeyerhofer@aquietroom.com
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If you’re interested in learning more about the scientific and philosophical underpinnings of psychotherapy, you might enjoy my first book, “Life is a Brief Opportunity for Joy”
My second book takes a humorous look at the current state of the legal profession, “Way Worse Than Being A Dentist”
(Both books are also available on bn.com and the Apple iBookstore.)
For information on my private practice, click here.
The People's Therapist 
In my experience, the written word is the same as trying to ascertain tone and emphasis in e-mails – it’s difficult and is often wrong. Likewise, counseling through e-mail does not allow for a fair and frank exchange. Every word is scrutinized (if not sanitized) to avoid embarrassment and/or admitting weakness. Finally, body language is unavailable to the counselor, and that is often the way that people communicate the things they are *not* saying out loud. As is generally the case, one should ignore what people say and focus on their actions.
I’m going to respond without even looking at the video clip because I’m in a commenting mood. After all, you don’t need to read a blog post to comment on it!
Based on my experience on in-person hearings and video hearings, you also lose something when you are on a screen as opposed to in-person.
And the solution to the “not in a sharing mood” would be to write a list of problems when when you feel like it and then take it to the session.
And if you have ever met someone who’s manic, you definitely get a vibe from them that you really have to experience to understand. That’s one of my least favorite part of meeting with psychiatric cases. The really wackadoo vibes.
http://thirdtierreality.blogspot.com/
Will, you should provide a brief synopsis on what goes on in the minds of students who insist on going to law school, despite the facts? When one points out that the legal job market is shrinking, due to outsourcing, LPOs, major advances in IT and software, and corporate clients unwilling to pay big money to train new associates, these prospective students become unhinged.
Perhaps, it would be better to provide a psychological profile of a typical greedy law school dean or “professor” – who distorts/manipulates job and starting salary data to entice more applicants, and then turns around blames students for their failures to land decent employment.
A blog is much like a journal, so yes, it can help you express your emotions better. Great post – thank you for reassuring me that I made the right decision to start blogging. I had been concerned about blogging as a therapist in Orange County until recently when I encountered some true clarity on what my purpose would be…having that clarity made all the difference and gave me the confidence to go for it!