As a psychologist there are questions I will not answer, usually of a personal nature, while in session, but I do not dislike the question being asked. It is human nature to avoid discomfort and being in a psychotherapy session, especially in the first few sessions, can be very uncomfortable for the patient. The discomfort experienced in moments of silence can be overwhelming and for some escape at any cost is required. Chatting with the only other person in the room is a natural and attractive looking escape route many patients choose to employ and asking personal questions is one way that “conversation”is attempted.

Such questions are not useful therapeutically so I usually will turn them around on the patient. They ask where I’m from and I’ll also where they think I’m from. They ask if I’m from here or there and I will ask what it would mean to them if I was.

The goal is not to dodge the question per se but to encourage the patient to focus on themselves and their deeper inner experience. Usually the patients catch on, in a session or two, and the personal questions stop, but sometimes the patients have a visceral experience which can lead them to deeper understandings of themselves. That’s where the real treasure lay, therapeutically speaking, in those moments when an unexpected response causes an emotion to emerge.

On another note; while I understand it is a difficult task to continually come up with ideas for these prompts, I think there is enough negativity in this world without posting a prompt which is designed to contemplate more hate.