Would you mind giving me 5 minutes of your time please?
I have an Ethical report to write up for next week at University and I wanted to conduct my own survey to make it as factual as possible. The more people that answer, the more convincing my evidence can be.
So if you are happy to do so then would you mind answering the 2 questions below in the comment box, you can remain anonymous if you wish as this is not based on age or gender.
1. Do you think a counsellor/therapist should pay close attention to the way s/he dresses? Answer yes or no then please leave a short comment to explain your answer.
2. When you picture a counsellor/therapist, what do you picture them wearing?
Thank you very much for your time, it is greatly appreciated!!
1. No. I don't think they need to pay CLOSE attention, just dress appropriately.
ReplyDelete2. male: suit or shirt and jumper with trousers. female: suit or skirt/blouse.
yes I do think they need to pay close attention
ReplyDeletethey need to wear neutral and conservative clothing so as to not increase their patients' stress i.e. not bright vivid colours but not dress like they are going to a funeral either
1. Yes, but not just counsellors/therapists, I think everyone should pay attention to the way they dress but especially in a professional setting.
ReplyDelete2.I agree with the previous post, Male: Tweed suit or shirt and jumper with cords :)
Female: Dress or skirt and blouse with glasses hanging around their necks on the cord things. Lol
Not necessarily what I believe they should wear but what I imagine them to wear.
1/ Yes, so as not to influence or stress in the wrong manner
ReplyDelete2/ Smart casual,if coloured then pastel, not black or bright
1. Yes they should pay attention, clothing gives off signals. It needs to be neither too formal or too casual and not to really attract attention.
ReplyDelete2. Well, my counsellor was so good at it I can't really remember what she wore!!
I picture someone (female for me) wearing smart/tidy jeans type and jumper with either some modern-ish jewellery or scarf to soften
Yes, As a professional of course they should be aware of their clothing, they project an image, given the counsellor role they should also consider their patients.
ReplyDeleteI would imagine neutral colours, inoffensive (no brands visible)and comfort would all be relevant.
Good luck with the research.
Yes counsellors/therapists should always wear a uniform, but also with an added personal touch. You need to feel you are being seen by a professional and not just someone from the general public.
ReplyDeleteMale would be in a suit, female plain colours with a dash of colour by a scarf or jewellery
from @RedRoses4
1. Not really CLOSE attention, just some effort as most employed people would.
ReplyDelete2. Just something professional that makes both parties feel comfortable. Something not revealing, not dirty or smelly!, not too 'in your face', not scruffy etc. I want to remember the session, not what the counsellor was wearing!
Yes. I don't think their clothes should draw attention to them at all - I think they should dress in such a way as to send out as few signals about themselves as possible. They almost need to be invisible to the client, other than as a facilitator for the work the client needs to do. If the client is able to come up with ideas about who the therapist is, outside of the sessions (ie. rich, sexy, likes heavy metal etc) then the relationship may be coloured by those ideas and the work could be limited or altered.
ReplyDeleteI have had therapy and have no idea what my counsellor wore. I suppose I would picture trousers and a neat, neutral jumper or shirt/cardigan.
Yes & no! As professionals they should dress appropriately but that doesn't necessarily mean have no individuality.
ReplyDeleteSomething smart like a suit/skirt/dress
1. No more than any other professional person.
ReplyDelete2. Smart casual. Probably not a suit
1. I believe they should pay close attention and should wear neutral coloured clothing with nothing too outrageous!
ReplyDelete2. Boring clothes!!!
As above.
ReplyDelete1: No more than anyone else professional.
2: Smart casual, not a suit, the uniform should be informal as to keep people at ease, a suit would give the wrong impression of authority.
I agree with what most people seem to have said, I think they should dress professionally, so appropriately in that sense. But they also need to look friendl/approachable so I wouldn't necessarily want to see men in tie/ suit etc
ReplyDeleteI think of female therapists as wearing long skirts, comfy shirt/ jumper, and some jewellry. Men more in jeans/ long sleeve shirt
No, not CLOSE attention just something fairly neutral/plain basically just to make the client feel at ease and comfortable
ReplyDeleteMen neutral shirt, trousers
Women neutral blouse, skirt/ trs
1. Yes they need to be aware of how their behaviour and dress can affect their client. Clothes which distract the client from the work they need to do should be avoided e.g. political slogans, excessively revealing, too smart, too casual etc.
ReplyDelete2. Business casual. Not too formal but not too relaxed. Clothes should reflect professionalism. I see other commenters have said no bright colours or black but that wouldn't have bothered me. Jeans just as good as a suit but both should be tidy, no brand names showing etc. Ideally the counseller should be wearing clothes which help them fade into the background during the counselling session.
1. Do you think a counsellor/therapist should pay close attention to the way s/he dresses? Answer yes or no then please leave a short comment to explain your answer.
ReplyDeleteNo. I think they should wear exactly what it feels appropriate for them to wear. Clients need to feel authenticity from a counsellor or therapist and will have more confidence if they feel no contradiction between the therapist and his/her presentation.
2. When you picture a counsellor/therapist, what do you picture them wearing?
Vest and combats or a 3 piece suit, depending on the person. there might be things in a counsellors appearance i may find challenging and it might be harder for them to win confidence, but if I sense that they are true to themselves in what they wear, and are non prescriptive and non judgemental in themselves, that would be overcome.
1. Appropriately - attention should be paid to walking the line between formal and casual (not too formal, not too casual) but I don't think close attention is necessary.
ReplyDelete2. I have to say I've never thought about it before seeing this post, but I guess much along the lines of what you'd expect to see people wearing in an office :)
Hope that helps - good luck with your report!
xx
1. Yes - I think they need to look friendly and approachable, but still professional - a bit like your GP! Too smart would be too intimidating, and feel like an interview - too casual would make me feel they weren't taking it seriously...
ReplyDelete2. I picture them wearing something similar to my office "uniform" - smart casual, nothing flashy, fairly neutral. Black trousers or smart jeans, a nice top/shirt, no tie, limited jewellerey. I don't think colour bothers me, but I imagine them in neutral colours so as not to intimidate...
Hope this helps hon, good luck with the report xx
I would just like to say thank you everyone, your input has been very helpful and also interesting!
ReplyDeleteI have compiled my results and I will now make an attempt at writing a report on it!!
Thank you, merry Christmas to you all! XX