Dear Prudence: The Therapist Has Two Faces

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Dear Prudence The Therapist Has Two Faces Dear Prudence advises a protégé whose mentor makes fun of clients behind their backs—in a live chat at Washingtonpost.com. By Emily Yoffe Posted Monday, Dec 05, 2011, at 08:37 PM ET Emily Yoffe, aka Dear Prudence, is on Washingtonpost.com weekly to chat live with readers. An edited transcript of this week's chat is below. (Sign up here to get Dear Prudence delivered to your inbox each week. Read Prudie's Slate columns here. Send questions to Prudence at prudence@slate.com.) Emily Yoffe: Good afternoon, everyone. I look forward to your questions. Q. Bad Counselor: I started my first job as a counselor recently. My mentor is an experienced, middle-aged counselor who is well-recognized in our area as one of the best family counselors. I thought it was an absolute privilege to learn from her. But the more time I spend with her, the more uncomfortable I feel. She is outwardly a kind, thoughtful, empathic counselor who knows what to say at the right time. Her office is full of gifts and cards from grateful clients who feel as though they finally met a nonjudgmental person to guide them through their difficulties. But when they aren't there, she turns into a different person. I've heard her on the phone with a client whose child died suddenly. She listened to him intently and said all the kind, supportive words—but she was looking at my direction rolling her eyes. When she got off the phone she mimicked the client's distress and called him a "chronic whinger." She has derogatory nicknames for most of her clients. On Fridays when we all have staff lunch, she makes fun of ... To continue reading, click here. Join the Fray: our reader discussion forum What did you think of this article? POST A MESSAGE | READ MESSAGES Also In Slate Nancy Pelosi Hints That She Has "Thousands of Pages" of Dirt on Gingrich The Terrifying Phone Software That's Tracking Your Movements and Logging Your Keystrokes The Broncos' Stunning Victory Over the Vikings Is Shaking My Non-Belief in God	Advertisement
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