Question

What does the phrase "the authentic therapist" convey to you?  

Answer 1

For me, being authentic means being genuine and open. In an authentic counseling setting, honesty, the willingness to admit when wrong, and the ability to be oneself strengthen the client-counselor relationship. This allows the client to feel as though they are in a trustworthy environment. An authentic counselor means that the therapist does not try to hide and only spout out clinical jargon. The qualities that the counselor would need for authenticity is a good sense of who they are along with a good sense of who it is that they are dealing with.