When Clients Talk about "Small Things"

Major major MAJOR caveat: what clients bring to sessions is important regardless of the ‘size’ of it. We used the terminology “small things” as it felt that it explained the situation in the most precise way but we know that nothing is ever really “small” when we consider context, our clients’ lives, and the power of little things in our day-to-day existence.With that clarified, this week’s episode is about what comes up for us as therapists when clients explore minor/small/seemingly insignificant (ugh, it’s hard to find the most accurate language to use) stories or challenges. As therapists, we may become frustrated that we aren’t getting to the BIG stuff or we may have a hard time understanding how small things seem to feel really huge for clients.We know that many clients worry that their situations aren’t worthy of therapy - not traumatic enough to meet an invisible threshold. We must know how to talk to clients about the validity of their experiences, that they are all valid for exploration and support. And we need to know how to manage ourselves and the sessions when clients seem to stay in the shallow end of the pool.Join us on Patreon for bonus content at www.patreon.com/edgeofthecouch or share your thoughts and questions via DM on Instagram @edgeofthecouchpod, email at [email protected], or voice note at speakpipe.com/edgeofthecouch.We have partnered with Janeapp, an all-in-one practice management software. You can learn more at Jane.app/mentalhealth. Or, if you are ready to get started, mention Edge of the Couch in the note during sign up.Alison McClearywww.alpenglowcounselling.com@alpenglow_counselling on InstagramJordan Pickellwww.jordanpickellcounselling.ca@jordanpickellcounselling on InstagramEdge of the Couchwww.edgeofthecouch.com@edgeofthecouchpod on Instagram**********Untangling the Ties that Bind is written specifically as a resource to recommend to your clients working through issues related to enmeshment, parentification, and setting boundaries with family members. It is now available wherever books are sold. Thanks for your support!Join us on Patreon for bonus content at www.patreon.com/edgeofthecouch, share your thoughts and questions via DM on Instagram, or email us at [email protected] have partnered with Janeapp, our favourite all-in-one practice management software. You can learn more at Jane.app/mentalhealth. Or, if you are ready to get started, mention Edge of the Couch in the note during sign-up for a free one-month grace period on your new account.Alison McClearywww.woodstovewellness.caJordan Pickellwww.jordanpickellcounselling.ca@jordanpickellcounselling on InstagramEdge of the Couchwww.edgeofthecouch.com@edgeofthecouchpod on Instagram