Client autonomy is a cornerstone of the therapeutic process and should begin during that first consultation call you make. Client autonomy refers to a client’s right to have control and a say in their treatment process and associated decisions. This includes the recognition of, and voicing your own needs, values, or boundaries as a client. Even for those who have been in therapy for years, it can often be intimidating to advocate for themselves throughout their therapeutic journey. Understandably, there are many factors that can contribute to why some struggle with self advocacy in this space.
- Perceived Power Dynamics - Oftentimes the therapist can be seen as the “expert” or authority figure in the room, making it challenging for clients to feel they can be firm in their boundaries or self-advocacy. “If I speak up, I am undermining authority.”
- Life Experiences - Clients who may have a history of trauma, abuse, or not having their needs met may feel fearful to speak up. “It isn’t safe to voice my needs.”
- Difficulty Recognizing Personal Value - Clients who struggle with self-worth may feel undeserving of care, being heard, or expressing their needs. “I don’t deserve to take up space.”
- Cultural Norms - In some cultures, politeness is seen as a symbol of respect toward authority figures making it challenging to be assertive. “If I voice my opinion, I am being disrespectful.”
- Skills Gap - Some individuals struggle with people pleasing tendencies and underdeveloped self-advocacy or assertiveness skills. “I don’t want to upset anyone.”
Acknowledging the difficulty of embracing your autonomy in therapy can be seen as a first step in demonstrating vulnerability to the process. Vulnerability, for most of us, can be a scary concept, especially when it comes to displaying it to someone you don’t really know yet. Most importantly, you want to find a clinician who makes you feel comfortable with doing so. One way clients can get a good feel for the receptiveness or style of the therapist can be having a consultation call prior to committing. That being said, there are many reasons why it is both important and beneficial for you as a client to have autonomy.
Increased Confidence
As you begin to become more comfortable voicing your needs, boundaries, and preferences, you can develop confidence that follows you into your ‘real life.’ Allowing yourself to take up space and advocate for yourself can help facilitate the shift to becoming an active participant in your healing process. Gaining more confidence is a crucial component of building self-efficacy and self-worth, which can help build resilience. Confidence helps us shift from helplessness to acceptance and problem solving.
Strengthen Therapeutic Alliance
Having your boundaries and needs accepted and respected in a safe space can provide a corrective emotional experience. This refers to the process of safe re-exposure in which your needs are met with a healthy emotional response from your therapist. With continued re-exposure, this healthy response can begin to replace previous (traumatic or painful) memories associated with rejection of needs.
Personalized and Productive Sessions
Self-advocacy during the therapeutic process helps therapists tailor their approach to meet your needs, allowing sessions to feel effective and goal oriented. Embracing autonomy can help you express what feels helpful or unhelpful. It is okay to tell your therapist “this isn't working for me” or “can we shift to a different topic.” Autonomy makes it possible for your values and goals to be a part of the process and allows for a clear guiding system for sessions that may feel stagnant. Autonomy creates a feeling of responsibility and motivation toward your therapeutic process.
Client Empowerment
Voicing your needs, preferences, and boundaries can result in a feeling of empowerment to help you reclaim a sense of control in your healing process. Client autonomy is paramount to the therapeutic process and supports the therapeutic goals of healing through action and empowerment by choice. Practicing self-determination, allows you to take ownership of your treatment goals, leading to motivation to engage, enhanced confidence, and a deeper sense of self-trust.
You may be wondering how you can practice autonomy during your therapy sessions. This may look different for everyone so take time to find the approaches that feel right for you. There are some forms of self-advocacy that may feel better starting with.
- Collaborative Planning - Discuss a plan with your therapist to highlight areas of focus. As a team you and your therapist can work together to set goals, determine the pace of treatment, and identify interventions. This can be helpful to fall back on during those sessions where there isn’t much to talk about. During this planning you can explore the responsibility breakdown and discuss who is responsible for which parts of the treatment process.
- Providing Feedback - If something isn’t working for you in session let your therapist know. Whether something was said to make you uncomfortable or you need to slow the pace down, provide your therapist with this feedback. It can be helpful to let your therapist know what is working for you and what you need more of. Asking questions for clarity and comfort can help build an open and collaborative relationship.
- Setting Boundaries - Voicing your boundaries in therapy can help foster a sense of emotional safety and personal agency. Asking for what you need and stating your limits, preferences, or values allow for a genuine and supportive therapeutic relationship. This can look like needing to take breaks from sessions, switching to a different topic, or changing your schedule ‘just’ to make it easier for you. If you struggle with boundary setting in your personal life, this can be a great space to practice those skills.
Practicing self-advocacy is a great way to embrace your autonomy during your healing journey. This approach fosters trust between you and your therapist and assures your treatment aligns with your values. Vulnerability can be difficult so take it slow and steady. Start by choosing a form of advocacy that feels the least risky to you. Autonomy is a way to give yourself permission to show up authentically. Remember, therapy is a safe space and you are allowed to validate your needs by voicing them, and you deserve to be heard.