Recovery Bill of Rights Part 4

A Recovery Bill of Rights for Trauma Survivors Part 4

For safety in your personal dependency in therapy you have the right to…

Hire a therapist or counselor as coach, not boss, of your recovery.

Receive expert and faithful assistance in healing from your therapist.

Know that your therapist will never have any other relationship with you – business, social, or sexual.

Be secure against any disclosure by your therapist, except with your consent or under court order.

Hold your therapist’s undivided loyalty in relation to all abusers.

Obtain informative answers to questions about your condition, your therapist’s qualifications, and any proposed treatment.

Have your safety given priority by your therapist, to the point of readiness to use all lawful means to neutralize an imminent threat to your life or that of someone else.

Receive a commitment from your therapist that is not conditional on your “good behavior” (habitual crime and endangerment excepted).

Make clear and reliable agreements about the times of sessions and of you therapist’s availability.

Telephone your therapist between scheduled sessions, in urgent need, and receive a return call within a reasonable time.

Be taught skills that lessen the risk of re-traumatization:

                Containment (boundaries for recovery work);

                Control of attention and mental imagery;

                Systematic relaxation.

Enjoy reasonable physical comfort during sessions.

 

This concludes the Bill of Rights for Trauma Survivors series.  I welcome any responses or reactions that you would like to share.

 

Bill