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i've been seeing a therapist for 2 and a half years. i initially went in to see a therapist for anxiety issues. it is a very specific anxiety issue. she hasn't really helped with the specific issue i went in for but she does help me sort out some problems that pop up (nothing serious, just typical problems).
anyways, i'm starting to feel kind of bored with it now and i view the therapy sessions as a chore. should i stop going? i've been reading that most of the time when you want to stop therapy that is exactly when you'll have some kind of "breakthrough". i've thought about stopping before but kept going because of reading this repeatedly. but i'm wondering at what point i should just stop going. i actually sometimes feel like the therapy makes me feel worse. like i spend time ruminating about problems that i wouldn't otherwise.
does anyone have experience with stopping therapy? did you feel better when you stopped? did you push through instead and reach a "breakthrough" or some profound experience?
I think you should talk to your therapist about what you are feeling. I know, not the most helpful thing...but I can't really answer the rest. Therapy is so unique for each person...there aren't any real answers I can offer
I have only been a few times. Maybe it was just the ones I went to. But I didn't feel I was really going to get anything out f it. I may try another in the future, but I am working on a series of other things that take precedence. Stopping wasn't a big deal. I wasn't relieved, just indifferent.
Maybe it's your particular therapist. Sometimes, like anything, you have to meet different ones before you decide or get someone you like.
Instead of thinking about stopping altogether, why don't you think about taking a break? Tell her that you're going to take about 6 months off to see how things go. You can plan on checking back in with her in September or October. But if you decide you don't need to then you don't have to.
You, and not the therapist, are in charge of deciding whether you need to keep seeing her. If you've been seeing her for 2.5 years and don't think you're getting anywhere, you probably aren't. Plus, the fact that she hasn't helped you with your initial issue is alarming.
I suggest you make a list of progress you have made. That sometimes helps put things into perspective. If it isn't much, then maybe the therapist isn't doing much for you. But you might find that there has been tons of progress that you just haven't seen because the progress is so slow.
That has helped me when thinking about stopping therapy.
ALso I ran into thinking I could easily replace my therapist when it was time for a new one...and maybe that was what was best. Its been impossible so far. I have tried out several and its just...not right. The reason why I left was because of a cross country move. So there is no option to go back. But I did think it would be easy to replace her. It sure isn't. Something to keep in mind
Instead of thinking about stopping altogether, why don't you think about taking a break? Tell her that you're going to take about 6 months off to see how things go. You can plan on checking back in with her in September or October. But if you decide you don't need to then you don't have to.
You, and not the therapist, are in charge of deciding whether you need to keep seeing her. If you've been seeing her for 2.5 years and don't think you're getting anywhere, you probably aren't. Plus, the fact that she hasn't helped you with your initial issue is alarming.
that's a good idea. i mean the whole point of therapy is to make the person able to function better on their own, so i would like to test that out at some point. maybe i will bring that up. thanks
Quote:
Originally Posted by HighFlyingBird
I suggest you make a list of progress you have made. That sometimes helps put things into perspective. If it isn't much, then maybe the therapist isn't doing much for you. But you might find that there has been tons of progress that you just haven't seen because the progress is so slow.
That has helped me when thinking about stopping therapy.
ALso I ran into thinking I could easily replace my therapist when it was time for a new one...and maybe that was what was best. Its been impossible so far. I have tried out several and its just...not right. The reason why I left was because of a cross country move. So there is no option to go back. But I did think it would be easy to replace her. It sure isn't. Something to keep in mind
yeah definitely will think about that - i would hope she would always welcome someone back who left no matter what.
I personally don't feel therapy has helped me very much. I finally gave up. But that's just me - I want someone to wave a magic wand over me and "fix" me. :-)
I personally don't feel therapy has helped me very much. I finally gave up. But that's just me - I want someone to wave a magic wand over me and "fix" me. :-)
me too.
how did you approach stopping though? if i mention stopping to my therapist she says "why" i say i just want a break and she says "i think you should keep coming" lol.
i feel the only way to stop going is to just not show up and not return her calls. but i'd rather not end it that way.
how did you approach stopping though? if i mention stopping to my therapist she says "why" i say i just want a break and she says "i think you should keep coming" lol.
i feel the only way to stop going is to just not show up and not return her calls. but i'd rather not end it that way.
Obviously I have no idea about what's going in your therapy with your therapist, but it seems to me that after that much time she should support your decision to take a break. You clearly are interested in feeling better or you wouldn't have stuck with it for that long. She should not put you in the position of having to avoid her to stop seeing her.
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