Althouse: "A typical therapist’s office, no matter how welcoming we try to make it, is still a professional space: couch, therapist chair..."

May 19, 2020

"A typical therapist’s office, no matter how welcoming we try to make it, is still a professional space: couch, therapist chair..."

"... diplomas or abstract art on the walls, therapy-related books on the shelf and the conspicuous absence of anything that might reveal a clinician’s personal life. But to me, it seemed almost silly to try to curate a spot like this in what was clearly my bedroom. Even putting a blank wall behind me felt disingenuous, a way of pretending that I wasn’t sitting in my home just like everyone else. Soon I traded my pressed work blouses for oversized sweaters and comfortable T-shirts. I didn’t try to cover when the washing machine beeped, the neighbor’s dog barked or my son yelled, 'Mom, are you done? It’s lunchtime!' I felt freer with my patients, and they seemed to be freer with me, going places we hadn’t ventured before...."

From "The surprising intimacy of online therapy sessions during the pandemic" by Lori Gottlieb (WaPo).

In that light, what are we to make of Joe Biden, up from his basement, vlogging from the ground floor, with the window open, interrupted by geese honking (and some guy)?

Maybe he feels freer with us, and and we feel freer with him, going places we hadn’t ventured before...

28 comments:

Dave Begley said...: Can we expect an SNL skit on Biden the Buffon from his Basement?; 5/19/20, 8:55 AM
gspencer said...: ". . . is still a professional space: couch, therapist chair . . ."

all used to reach the same conclusion,

https://i.pinimg.com/564x/3c/11/04/3c1104153bce28346f26ef8df73bad8b.jpg; 5/19/20, 9:06 AM
Wince said...: In that light, what are we to make of Joe Biden, up from his basement, vlogging from the ground floor, with the window open, interrupted by geese honking...

Gov. Whitmer's obsequious laughter means she wants the VP nod before she's booted out of office.

(and some guy)?

Well, the 'ghost kid' from Three Men and Baby (1987) -- the year Biden ran for president for the first time -- would be around 40 years old now. Just saying...; 5/19/20, 9:11 AM
Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves said...: Just seeing the NYT piece claiming that "believe all women" was invented by the Right. My God these people are shameless. Now I'm waiting for the day when they claim that no liberal ever really believed that biological men can be women. That was all a right wing conspiracy too.; 5/19/20, 9:11 AM
traditionalguy said...: Feeling freer to talk About secrets on line is real. Ask The Orange Tweety Bird. He reveals secrets that Q has been revealing for 2 years.And our therapy sessions work well.; 5/19/20, 9:12 AM
Fernandinande said...: We were drinking margaritas on the porch with the neighbors, but maybe we'd have felt "freer" laughing about libtards over a computer network instead.; 5/19/20, 9:14 AM
rcocean said...: Needs more Geese and fewer silly gooses.; 5/19/20, 9:16 AM
John henry said...: Why doesn't he just close the windows?

Also, why doesn't he mention "Hey, folks, I'm going to be making a video so hold it down and don't walk past the windows for the next 5 minutes"

It's not hard.

John Henry; 5/19/20, 9:18 AM
John henry said...: What's with the 3 seconds of Obama saying "It's torn back the curtain"

Weren't we just talking about that here 2-3 days ago? How PDJT is tearing back the curtain on the Obama presidency? Exposing the GREAT AND MIGHT OBAMA as simply a small man with a megaphone and sound effects. In Obama's case the media.

Who made that clip? Trump 2020?

John Henry; 5/19/20, 9:20 AM
Dear corrupt left, go F yourselves said...: When "Believe all women" backfires - disown it and lie that your opponent made it.

The left Schitt the bed. Smart people should walk away.; 5/19/20, 9:30 AM
traditionalguy said...: I accused the wife of wanting. me to wear a police body cam so she will not miss out on vicarious sharing everything that I do. I suspect that she was CIA before we met. To me, not all we do is that interesting. But she wants to hear about it. Guess that is a good thing.; 5/19/20, 9:31 AM
stevew said...: I'm in sales, outside sales, and routinely traveled to meet customers; we would also often speak by phone. I'm good at establishing and building working relationships. Many customers would open up and allow for some bonding around their life outside work, relationship status, children or not, activities. Some were all business.

Since the lockdown we've been doing video meetings (Zoom, Skype, etc.). Nearly everyone has adopted the behavior of turning on their video. People are dressed more casually and given they are working from home occasionally will have their personal life intrude on the call; a spouse that walks in to the room, a child that demands some attention, a dog that barks, and so on. We all see this, we all have it happen to us, we all understand and accept it as an amusing part of the situation. The line between work and personal is still there, but the relationships are broader and more personal. Sort of, but not quite, foxhole buddies.

We'll see if it transitions back.; 5/19/20, 9:32 AM
John henry said...: Steve,

I spent 22 years selling capital machinery. I generally spent 3-4 days a week calling on clients and 1-2 days in the home office.

Much of my time in the office was spent on the phone with clients and potential clients.

I found that I was much more professional and, more importantly, effective when I was dressed professionally. Not jacket and tie but shoes and socks, pants and shirt with collar.

I'm a big believer in the old 1940's Gillette campaign "Look sharp, feel sharp, be sharp"

Also, the Marine Corps adage "You can't be a Marine if you don't look like a Marine"

John Henry; 5/19/20, 9:48 AM
tim maguire said...: The therapist is being selfish and unprofessional. The whole point of the therapist hiding her personal life is that the awareness that the therapist HAS a personal life can only encourage self-censoring on the part of the patient, undermining the therapy.

Joe Biden, on the other hand, is a politician. And politicians need to come across as real people living the same lives as everybody else, with the same cares and concerns we have. That's why they drink beer and eat barbecue, and why many politicians (including Biden) adopt the accent and mannerisms of whatever part of the country they are speaking to.

In therapy, identifying with the therapist is a negative; in politics, it's a sought-after phenomenon.; 5/19/20, 9:50 AM
Jamie said...: But here's the thing. The reason therapists' officers are devoid of personal stuff is to try (yeah, often unsuccessfully, but still) to minimize transference, as well as the potential for awkward overlap with or even danger from troubled clients.

This therapist seems to be valuing his or her (didn't go to the link, sorry) personal feelings about his or her profession over the good of the client.; 5/19/20, 9:51 AM
Lurker21 said...: Well, at least they finally got grandpa out of the basement.

Biden's laugh sounded forced, but the honking geese may have been a good idea - something for Biden to talk about when he forgets what to say next

Who's the guy who wandered into the background of the first shot, and why doesn't he have the sense to leave?; 5/19/20, 9:59 AM
John henry said...: Dressed professionally in front of clients, of course.

But what I was really talking about was dressing professionally when I was alone in the office.

John Henry; 5/19/20, 9:59 AM
stevew said...: John Henry: Agree with you on the dressing part, for me and my sales reps. I start my work day the same way today as I did when I was on the road (just a couple of months ago) in that I shave, shower, and dress properly. "Dress properly" has evolved from a suit and tie - many years ago - to a dress shirt, no tie, and rarely even a blazer. I was taught to do this out of respect for the customer. They can wear whatever they please, of course.; 5/19/20, 10:01 AM
Nichevo said...: And Joe, they're not Canadian geese, they are Canada geese.; 5/19/20, 10:08 AM
Ralph L said...: How dare he call those geese Canadian.

At least that isn't a naked female SS agent outside in the first bit.; 5/19/20, 10:13 AM
Andrew said...: In Canadian mythology, influenced heavily by Norse mythology, geese are an omen of death. Their cry is the sound of wrath.; 5/19/20, 10:19 AM
Howard said...: Funny John Henry I never heard that about the Marines. I guess because starch and spit shine was so pandemic to the corpse it was never spoken about just assumed. Kind of like the first rule of fight club. The most important requirement for current or former Marines is be lean and mean not a disgusting fat body with jelly donut stains. But I do agree you and ZZ top have it right:

I don't need a reason why

They come runnin' just as fast as they can

'Cause every girl crazy 'bout a sharp dressed man; 5/19/20, 10:27 AM
John henry said...: Howard,

I just did a quick search and can't find anything. You may be right.

OTOH, the Marines always looked much sharper than doggies and sailors.

I exclude the AF. Not really a military force so can't expect them to look military, right?

John Henry; 5/19/20, 11:46 AM
AlbertAnonymous said...: Guy comes home from work and his wife says “I’ve started seeing a thereapist”

Guy responds “um, ok, are you sure we can afford that?”

Wife replies “oh I’m not seeing him professionally”; 5/19/20, 11:46 AM
gilbar said...: Biden needs to take a page from History; and let OTHERS campaign for him
He Needs to stay out of sight, and off camera . . .
Maybe, then; people won't notice that he's a demented, dirty old man; 5/19/20, 12:30 PM
Howard said...: Exactly John Henry air Force guys looked like short-haul Greyhound drivers.; 5/19/20, 2:16 PM
David53 said...: Funny. The geese are trying to get away from the virus but he won't let them go.; 5/19/20, 3:46 PM
wildswan said...: The issue at hand is people across the country ending or trying to end the lockdown so they can survive financially (and emotionally). So, again, Biden isn't dominating the narrative, in fact he seems unaware of the narrative. He's upstairs at last with random events happening around him but he isn't talking about the Americans trying to resume their lives and being threatened by governors and police - or, as in Texas, not being threatened. Really, this is a "which side are you on" moment, and I regret to report that the Dems are trying to use the moment to increase state control and reinstate impeachment and keep the Flynn persecution going - ("regret" is spelled AMHAPPY!!!!) Actually, I AM sorry they've learned nothing about what the country wants. Having a major party be as dysfunctional as they've become isn't good thing. But, having people realize how dysfunctional the Dems have become is good.; 5/19/20, 6:07 PM