When the therapist becomes part of the problem...

Sometimes people come in with a complaint that plays out in therapy itself.  Often this is due to a dynamic that plays out between the therapist and the client that also plays out in the world outside of therapy between the client and others he or she meets along the way. If the therapist is aware, he or she can point out the dynamic and discuss it with the client.  The client can be shown ways that he or she may be doing to trigger and/or exacerbate the problem.  In doing so, the client learns to have power over the issue.  

But if the therapist is unaware or does otherwise ignores the dynamic, the therapist is often doomed to play it out with the client.  Unlike the outside world, this is the golden opportunity for both to discuss it and the therapist can reflect on the therapist's role in the problem and what happened.  This can empower the client to take actions that may help prevent further problems and/or to accept that sometimes we pull for some reactions in others in ways we cannot control (like with height, race, or gender).