Therapy

[onlything]

I had a therapist before for a year but I got paranoid and panicked enough to scamper off and avoide the place for the last ten or so months. Hello trust issues. Anyway, I'm wondering if coming back would be a good idea. I've been doing better at times with everything and I know that I could come back at any time. I don't have to pay for it as well. Maybe throwing away some thoughts again would be beneficial. Or maybe it would just make it worse. I'm not sure.

What do you think of individual therapy, overall?

 

[Gritches]

I was very paranoid and distrusting of my therapist for a long time. But going anyway helped me overcome some of my trust issues.

Individual therapy as a whole is so incredibly hit-or-miss. Just like any person in any profession, there are good ones and bad ones. I'm fortunate to have found a good one.

Even if you don't target specific issues or whatever it's good to have someone to talk to who isn't afraid of emotional intimacy like most people. What I like about therapy is that I can just skip the "small talk" and jump straight to "big talk", and it won't scare them or put them off. Or if it does, it doesn't really matter, because my insurance company has paid this person to put up with me for an hour. So there's no way to lose, really.

 

[kay]

I have tried quite a bit but don't trust most of them either. Seems like they don't listen so well. I could go on for ever about how they couldn't even remember what they said we were going to work on from one session to the next, forgot that I couldn't drive(I am ok with driving now, but not for a long time), and it just seemed pointless. If you find one though that is actually paying attention and understands ASD then definitely give it a try. That is a very rare therapist to find. Good luck if you give it another shot.

 

[tducey]

Most of my issues have come with work. I've gotten pretty good service out of the folks who work with career services for people with disabilities.

 

[Lichi]

I don’t see why not. The therapist’s job is not to judge you. He can guide you, but he can’t force you to do something you don’t want to. For me therapy is the only place I can say “no” and only elaborate if I feel like it. In the end you go there for you. They get paid either way if you listen to them or not. Just be prepared that they will despite listening to you not always agree with your idea of right and say things you might disagree on. Just know that they’re not forcing their opinion on you at that point, just giving you theirs. In the end the choice is always yours to agree or disagree. Don’t take it personal or that it’s them against you, because no one will win on that.

Also if you know that sometimes are rather tough and you might need therapy some day then grab the chance now. Since you won’t be paying for it and you have the chance, it’s the best way to ensure you continue on the good trail.

 

[Theta.G]

In a strange way don't forums like this replace talk therapists?

I don't think highly of therapists but that's because talking about certain things never made anything better for me. Have done enough self discovery, they can't tell me anything new and solutions they propose are shallow at best. On rare occasion would find brilliant minds online and more progress has been made through those interactions. When it comes to trust issues would highly favor a psychologist, dismiss the therapist and avoid the drug dealer psychiatrist like the plague.

 

[Mary Anne]

[QUOTE="kay, post: 507667, member: 16765"Seems like they don't listen so well. I could go on for ever about how they couldn't even remember what they said we were going to work on from one session to the next, forgot that I couldn't drive(I am ok with driving now, but not for a long time), and it just seemed pointless. If you find one though that is actually paying attention [/QUOTE]

Ouch. Your observations and opinions are yours of course. Just know that many therapists are very overworked. They might see 5 or more clients day, with 2 minutes in between each client. That is not even enough time to dig out and go over the previous session’s notes. They indeed are paying attention to you. But they can only hold so much info in the brain. They do not memorize details from week to week. Well some are really good at that but others do not have super power memory. They are humans just like everyone else. O

On top of seeing patients all day long every singe day, 5 days a week, they also have personal lives, with husbands and children. Everyone things the therapist should be a super human that is perfect. In no other profession is such super human abilities expected, demanded, and berated.

 

[LucyPurrs]

Individual therapy as a whole is so incredibly hit-or-miss. Just like any person in any profession, there are good ones and bad ones.

Totally agree with this, sometimes you have to keep trying until you find the right fit. A good therapist should be able to fit the treatment to the person and not force someone who would benefit most from insight psychotherapy into Behavioral Therapy or vise versa as no one type of treatment fits everyone.
IMO the main difference between the licensed social work therapists and psychologists I worked with was that the LCSWs looked much more at the whole picture of the person's situation whereas psychologists tend to have a much more narrow focus generally speaking. Of course I'm not saying this applies to everyone, but that in general this is a difference in their approaches and education.

 

[ftfipps]

I have similar trust issues. I will visit a certain clinic for a while, then I will secretly suspect someone there has it out for me or I will see some of the local riffraff I choose to avoid and leave abruptly. I agree with @Hdphn33, a therapist isn't going to give me the relief I want. Essentially, they have a degree...that's all. They are no better or more qualified than anyone else to give you advice. If it helps certain people then wonderful. Places like this, Reddit and other forums are where somone can go and find obscure things out if they can't find the information elsewhere or discuss personal issues much like a therapist appointment.

 

[DesertRose]

I have such a difficult time trying to put my emotions and feelings and thoughts into words, that it just doesn't seem to be any good for me. Thet completely misunderstand what I'm talking about, and come off with some ridiculous mess. One told me i was "playing stupid". No, it wss them who were playing stupid and were very convincing!!! I've never "played" stupid, either I was ignorant of something, or wasn't. I didnt go for years after that. And if I have to pay them to be my friend, I don't see any point in it. I don't need a friend that bad. Anyone else have this misunderstanding, putting things into words problem?