If you set yourself the goal of finding materials on ethics, logic, style or techniques for conducting consultations with a therapist, you will find tons of information all over the Internet. Some materials are considered classics, some are considered new, some are discussed - some are not. But when it comes to how a client should behave with a therapist, there is almost complete silence (apart from heated discussions in the style of “they are all either goats or saints” on the b17 forums). And recently, I had consultation with a client whose main request for therapy was “increasing self-esteem.” Well, for the sake of expanding the horizons of thinking, he and I modeled options for how a client can assert himself at the expense of a psychotherapist. It’s difficult for me to formulate now how we came up with this topic, but it turned out quite unusual. In some ways it worked out seriously, in others not so much, but the client clearly got a taste for it as the process progressed. In general, see for yourself. P.S. He is a lawyer by profession :). Action #1. Ask about guarantees. Open and to the forehead. Moreover, the more serious or global your problem, the more active it is. Ask about a refund if there is no effect or result. Action No. 2. Ask about the time frame for achieving results. Insist that the therapist meet a certain date. If the therapist tries to dodge (under any pretext), threaten him with contacting Rospotrebnadzor. If the therapist understands this, offer to conclude a psychotherapeutic contract. Writing. With obligations and penalties. Action No. 3. Ask if “at least someone” can recommend him (the therapist). Can he give a phone number to one of his clients to discuss with a therapist? If the therapist says something about confidentiality, chuckle in the style of “well, everything is clear with you - you hide behind concern for the client”... Action No. 4. Regularly question the therapist’s words and actions. Give him more value judgments and labels. Call him “funny,” “cute,” or compare him to a friend from school. Action No. 5. Ask about how the therapist applied his knowledge in his own life. If he answers, comment – ​​“that’s all?” and chuckle arrogantly. Action No. 6. Raise your voice to the therapist periodically. If he tries to besiege you in any way, indignantly declare that he is preventing you from letting off steam, and does not want to help you at all. Action No. 7. Invite the therapist to share his experience of mistakes in working with clients. If he refuses, report that he disappointed you with his closedness and hypocrisy (they still make mistakes). Express suspicions about the lack of reflection skills. If he shares, he will brazenly put pressure on his conscience and lack of professionalism in each specific mistake. Action No. 8. Ask about how the therapist copes with the fact that he/she has defects in appearance (weight, ear shape, voice, etc.). If they don’t exist (well, what if) – exaggerate and exaggerate what is there. Invent, after all. Action No. 9. Conduct an experiment on a therapist - go up and poke your fingers at the therapist, look at the reaction. Say out loud something like “it’s good when you have the opportunity, at least in therapy, to do what you want; Normal people don’t allow people to point fingers at themselves.” Action No. 10. Ask a therapist about his weaknesses. If he refuses, say something like “doesn’t the crown bother you?” If he formulates slowly, “well, you’re slow-witted.” If he really tells you, laugh at each point and end with the phrase “how do you even live with this.” Action No. 11. Ask about what the therapist is ashamed of. If he doesn’t answer, conclude “yes, you have a lot of complexes, at least you go for supervision.” If he says so, remind him of this regularly in the form of “What are you telling me, you can’t really handle it yourself.” Action No. 12. Ask: does the therapist consider himself smarter than the client? If yes, speak for 10 minutes on the topic “all psychologists solve their problems at the expense of clients” and “I will: