Why Some People Lie to Their Therapists

Lying is, for better or worse, a behavior humans take part in at some point in their lives. On average, Americans tell one to two lies a day, multiple studies have suggested. But it’s where some people are fibbing that might come as a surprise. It turns out, one person often on the receiving end of a lie is someone people are supposed to open up to the most — their therapist. “I’ve totally lied in therapy. Sometimes, I’m even too ashamed or embarrassed to admit to the crazy outrageous things I’ve done,” says Laura, 28, who requested to only use her first name for fear of losing her job and therapist. “I think everyone lies in therapy to some extent. Usually, the truth ends up coming out, though.” Laura is far from alone. In a comprehensive 2015 study published by the American Psychological Association book Secrets and Lies in Psychotherapy, 93% of respondents admitted they had lied during therapy at least once. It might seem counterproductive for clients to lie to a therapist whose main objective is to help them. Still, there are a few practical and psychological reasons people aren’t always entirely forthright. Here are the biggest motivators, according to experts. They’re embarrassed The 2015 study found 61% of participants cited embarrassment as the main reason for dishonesty with their therapist. “Most of the time, we want to present our best selves,” Barry A. Farber, one of the authors of Secr...
Source: TIME: Health - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Uncategorized behavioral psychology brain science Human Nature lying mental health Therapy Source Type: news