Talk:Therapeutic relationship

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Patient, Client or Service User? What do you call the people that access psychology services?

Psychiatric Bulletin (2003) 27: 305-308 © 2003 The Royal College of Psychiatrists

Patient, client or service user? A survey of patient preferences of dress and address of six mental health professions

Rebecca McGuire-Snieckus Unit for Social and Community Psychiatry, St Bartholomew’s and the Royal School of Medicine, Queen Mary, University of London, William Harvey House, West Smithfield, London EC1A 7BE

Rosemarie McCabe, Senior Research Fellow Unit for Social and Community Psychiatry, Newham Centre for Mental Health,

Stefan Priebe Unit for Social and Community Psychiatry, Newham Centre for Mental Health

Declaration of interest This survey is part of a 3-year project funded by the special trustees of St Bartholomew’s Hospital, the Joint Research Board.

AIMS AND METHOD

A positive therapeutic relationship is essential to psychiatry and should take into account patients’ preferences. Preferences of 133 community care patients were surveyed regarding dress and forms of address of six professions. Participants’ sex, age, ethnicity and diagnosis were recorded.

RESULTS

Ninety-eight per cent of participants expressed a preference. While most preferred to be called ‘patients’ by general practitioners (75%) and psychiatrists (67%), there was no statistically significant difference in preference for the term ‘patient’ or ‘client’ when used by community psychiatric nurses, occupational therapists, psychologists or social workers. Participants over the age of 40 preferred the term ‘client’. Asymmetrical relationships were preferred with general practitioners and psychiatrists, evidenced by a preference to be addressed by first name (71% and 68%, respectively), to address the professional by title (81% and 80%, respectively), and the professional to be ‘smartly’ dressed (67% and 66%, respectively).

CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS

A more differentiated approach may be suggested by taking professional background and some demographic characteristics into consideration.

A CHALLENGE TO THE VERY CONCEPT OF THERAPEUTIC ALLIANCE

There is nothing here that suggests value in the alliance between the therapist and the "client" that would be better than a teacher and a student, regarding addressing matters of interpersonal concern or other specific learning task or skill. The concept completely leaves out why the mode of treatment visits in mental health is ONE (Boisvert)....maybe it's because MANY don't wish to develop such an alliance--and believe me, the therapists must sneak into this, as many would NEVER go if they knew this was the goal. There is a great deal of healing that is happening despite these alliances. Also, what is the financial cost of a typical therapeutic alliance--perhaps $50,000 to $100,000...and have you ever met someone who was DONE with a therapeutic alliance? The "Therapeutic Alliance" entry MUST be here, as it gives witness to modern day witchcraft.207.178.98.94 03:11, 22 September 2007 (UTC)