Naming the Elephant in the Room

Let’s imagine that in the course of a session, a client casually mentions something that feels big but the conversation moves beyond it quickly. As the therapist, we may have a sense that we need to go back to that big thing (such as a history of abuse or an upcoming grief anniversary or that they lost their job) but we may not know how or when to do so!

Or let’s imagine that a client hasn’t paid for their last four sessions. It’s become such a big anxiety that it feels impossibly hard to mention but there is a sense that it has to be brought up eventually. It feels both scary and critical!

This episode is all about how to know when to circle back to the elephant that is now in the room. We share how to talk about both the content-related bombs that have been dropped in sessions and the process-related pieces that are impacting the relationship, such as those outlined above.

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Alison McCleary
www.alpenglowcounselling.com
@alpenglow_counselling on Instagram

Jordan Pickell
www.jordanpickellcounselling.ca
@jordanpickellcounselling on Instagram

Edge of the Couch
www.edgeofthecouch.com
@edgeofthecouchpod on Instagram