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I think you have to find the right therapist. I have had two in my life that have been very good. They help me get out of my head and change my inner negative speak.
There is a lot of work on my part, but the therapist has been a tremendous help. It also can help just having someone a sounding board.
The informal definition of when a psychological problem becomes a pathological problem is when it interferes with your leading a normal life to such a degree that it causes some serious amount of incapacitation.
In other words, if your problem is bad enough that it interferes with leading a normal life then you need professional help.
So it seems I have finally found a therapist I click with. We had a small chat on the phone about a week ago and she was very insightful. I absolutely felt understood.
I had already attended therapy when I was in college a few years back and it was bad. The (male) therapist said I was flirting with him (which I was not), focused on my so-called 'privileged' background and even told me I was lying about my childhood abuse (at which point, I stopped the sessions since it was pointless to talk to someone who didn't believe me when all of my core issues stem from this pain).
This time around, I'm seeking professional help with a therapist who seems highly qualified and I'm paying the proportionate price. I really want this to work for me.
Have you ever successfully undergone therapy? How long does it take to finally see progress? How is the progress noticed?
Hey'up LIP,
I'm a qualified Psychologist, my field of expertise is Abuse and abuse behaviours.
I was in an abusive family environment as a child, the past experiences stood me on good ground for becoming a therapist in my chosen field, even though I ignored the calling for quite a few years.
To be a good therapist, in any field means caring about people, and ultimately caring about their clients. Clients are number 1, there is no No 2, 3 or 4 etc, or in between, clients are number 1; a caring professional therapist will treat them as such.
In answer to your questions,
Have you ever successfully undergone therapy?
This depends on both the client and the therapist, the client needs to be willing to commit without the expectation of miracles or quick fixes, there are neither.
The therapist needs to be fully understanding of the client's situation, know what they are talking about, and recognise when to refer their client onto a more qualified therapist if need be.
There is a gap imo, between therapists who learn from books (College, University etc) and those who have experienced past abuse themselves, the latter has past experiences.
How long does it take to finally see progress?
This depends on the depth of the problem combined with your first question. There is no time frame on healing, different people heal at different rates, having said that, a 12 yr old girl can heal faster than say a 40 or 50 year old person.
How is the progress noticed?
Progress can be noticed in various ways, other people (close to you) will notice the progress or changes in you first, you yourself may occasionally say something along the lines of "Jeez, I wouldn't have done/said that a couple of years ago), you also may begin to feel more comfortable with your problem, in that it's controlling your thoughts and actions less and less. Your therapist may say you're progressing, but only by your feedback, they wouldn't see you in your everyday life.
Abuse is illegal and not a nice thing to be on the receiving end of, but our past abuses can help individuals to better their future, and themselves.
And, when one hears, "find the right therapist," is important to note that that isn't just limited to finding one where there is a therapeutic level of comfort, respect, personality fit, communication style that works well for you, etc. It also means finding a practitioner that is trained and based in the school of counseling that most strongly speaks to you and is effective for your particular issue.
Many therapists are eclectic, using pieces of various theories of counseling, but lots also have certain approaches they may be most comfortable in, have the highest level of professional competency in, and/or simply naturally gravitate toward. Some theories of counseling are more effective for some issues than others, as well.
This can be hit and miss and can take time, since people seeking counseling don't automatically go in knowing what, specifically the issue is. They may go in, for instance, describing feelings of depression, and in the course of therapy, something else may be unearthed...perhaps obsessive-compulsive tendencies, and the depression springs from self-isolation that has resulted from trying to conceal o/c behavior. Or perhaps a trauma that has never been discussed comes up. Until you know the whole picture you're dealing with, it may not be possible to know what approach and/or school of therapy is most effective or appropriate. It's a process. And a well-trained therapist will also know when to refer, if it becomes apparent that issues unearthed are better served by another professional specializing within a milieu better suited to the issues.
And, when one hears, "find the right therapist," is important to note that that isn't just limited to finding one where there is a therapeutic level of comfort, respect, personality fit, communication style that works well for you, etc. It also means finding a practitioner that is trained and based in the school of counseling that most strongly speaks to you and is effective for your particular issue.
Who are you? We seem to share a lot of opinions in common.
I minored in Psych. I too have studied it for a long time, which is why I chose it as my minor, because the subject always fascinates me.
What could be more interesting to people than people and how they function?
ETA:
Rethinking it, "why they function!" What makes them tick?
I'm doing grad work right now, long after my undergrad days, and after years of teaching and working with families and adolescents with developmental and behavioral health issues.
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