In this article, I am making a case for a more courageous approach toward openness and
honesty that promotes being more transparent about one’s own feelings (also when negative)
toward the client. Even though many therapists fear that to express negative feelings
to and about the client will impede the therapeutic relationship, it is my experience that it is
rather not expressing those that will do the harm. But of course this self-disclosure has to be
executed in a constructive way. To do so, a couple of concrete strategies will be suggested
that may help the therapist make constructive use of meta-communication. First there will
be looked at how the therapist may introduce meta-communication. Contents and aspects
of self-disclosure regarding the relationship in the here-and-now will be scrutinized. Next to
self-disclosure, meta-communication may also take the shape of interventions like feedback,
interpretation, and confrontation. It is important that the therapist will always and readily
take responsibility for his or her own part in the interaction, and that the own positive intention
is emphasized. Also expressing empathy for the client’s positive intention can make the
meta-communication more acceptable to the client. An example finally shows how one may
invite the client to new interpersonal behaviour, followed by the recommendation to go back
to the client and be open to his or her reaction to the meta-communication.
meta-communication, interactional approach, here-and-now interaction, congruence, transparency
The tPeP (Journal Person-centered experiential Psychotherapy) is the scientific journal for Dutch and Flemish psychotherapists, psychologists, and psychiatrists, that work from, or are interested in a client-centered perspective.
