Monday, January 17, 2011
There may well come a time when you begin to think you'd like some professional help and guidance for your anxiety, or issues in life that are crowding in. Choosing a therapist can seem a daunting task. For one thing ‘therapy' is unregulated. Literally anyone with the inclination can quite legi...
I wish finding the "right" therapist were easier. I hunted for the right one for a few years because of something I had trouble dealing with by myself, and I saw maybe 3 or 4 before deciding on a CBT therapist who really did me some good. She worked in the same building as my doctor so I was familiar with how to get there (very important) and she had a flexible schedule. But more importantly, she gave me a different perspective and showed me how I was letting other people run my life. I was able to move to an apartment and gain my independence after living with my mother for 12 yrs. She gave me assignments, too, which no other therapist had ever done. In other words, she helped me define my goals and pushed me to achieve them. I only saw her for a total of maybe 6-8 sessions, but that was all I needed. Before that, another therapist sat with me every week for 5 yrs and I never got "unstuck" from my problems.
Also, because I tended to be very isolating and non-friendly, talking with her helped me gain some conversational skills. I felt like she was a friend but not a controller or one who would judge me unfairly.
Thanks Donna,
Your story is not untypical. I'm pleased you found someone you could connect with. And isn't it just typical - you look around for the right therapist and they're right under your nose all the time! Thanks also for the additional useful pointers.
and when will I learn to stop using my wife's laptop and find myself passing comments under her name?
Jerry