Temperament

Michael Mitchell, LPC

3/16/2010 7:59:15 PM

In my years of practice in counseling those with a variety of mental health, drug abuse, and sex offending issues, providing an environment in which a client can undertake the stress of change has often been challenged by understanding how/why/when/where a client was successful and/or failed at coping with various behaviors & conflicts. Looking for that "common denominator" for each client always entailed helping them to "see" their behaviors to better understand their current belief and capabilities.

Temperaments seem to play a significant role in a client identifying these "strands" of themselves, unique, similar to others, and adaptable to change. My thanks to Dr. Kagan for researching that core of all of us that, with our increased knowledge of its components, opens our awareness to a world that becomes more comfortable, less threatening, and more easily understood.