![[dr. bob]](/dr-bob-sm.gif)
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 43 to 67 of 86. Go back in thread:
Posted by Karen_kay on December 19, 2003, at 8:53:14
In reply to Re: You are TOO much! » Bell_75, posted by Miss Honeychurch on December 19, 2003, at 8:32:56
One time my therapist had me bring in my boyfriend. And he shook his hand. It made me so angry because he has never shook my hand. Not even the first time we met. Then, about 2 months ago I got up to leave and out of nowhere he held out his hand for me to shake it. I must have looked puzzled, and I said, "Why are you offering your hand now?" He obviously didn't notice that he hadn't offered it before. He mentioned that his friends used to tease him about becoming a politician, because he always shakes hands. It still bothers me. And he still hasn't offered his hand since that day. Maybe from now on, I'll start sticking my hand out to shake. But, he does touch my shoulder as I leave now. That's better than the stupid hand shake anyday :)
I just HATE seeing his other clients as I am leaving... I feel like they are competition. I've mentioned one before, who I felt was prettier than I was. He told me I "had nothing to worry about" (what does that mean anyway?? is she not a regular? does he dislike her?) I have thought about asking him not to get other clients until after I leave, but I don't want to be TOO demanding...
Posted by LostGirl on December 19, 2003, at 9:11:16
In reply to Shaking hands.. » Miss Honeychurch, posted by Karen_kay on December 19, 2003, at 8:53:14
My husband and I saw the same therapist for couples therapy, then during part of then and beyond I was seeing him alone. When the couples part ended he said good things about the work we had done and shook my husband's hand, but not mine. I thought either it's a guy thing, or more likely, it's because he's still continuing to see me alone and therefore he feels he shouldn't touch me - it wasn't an ending with me, though it was an ending of couples work with me. Then when we really did end individually, I didn't get the handshake either. We didn't end on the greatest terms, because I was so mad that he forgot to tell me in advance about his vacation, and when he got back it wasn't sufficiently resolved so I quit. But I still think I spent a lot of agonizing time on the quitting part, and it was intense and great when it was working, so I felt I should have gotten that handshake in the end. Stupid and petty, I know, but for all I went through there, I should have gotten the handshake in the end.
Posted by Miss Honeychurch on December 19, 2003, at 10:08:36
In reply to Shaking hands.. » Miss Honeychurch, posted by Karen_kay on December 19, 2003, at 8:53:14
I would take a shoulder touch ANYDAY over a handshake. You lucky girl! My T (who works with children as well) says that he only shakes hands, no hugs, no nothing. Even with 6 year olds who come in and have a hard session or something, he just shakes their hands!!
As for his other clients, there is a separate exit from the entrance so I never see any of his other clients. However, as I was getting on the elevator yesterday after my appointment (we laughed hysterically over the new "agenda" I brought in (yours, Karen with the times etc)), another woman got off the elevator on that floor and went into the office. He shares the suite of offices with 4 child neurologists so I assumed she was going to be his next appointment. I haven't stopped thinking about her since. I do think I was prettier than she, but not by much. O well...
Posted by Karen_kay on December 19, 2003, at 11:17:34
In reply to Re: Shaking hands.., posted by LostGirl on December 19, 2003, at 9:11:16
You would think that since he is a therapist he would be politically correct and shake your hand, even if you are a girl. Sheesh! I said something the first time he shook my hand. Did you ever mention it? I don't think it's petty, but I tend to focus a lot on "little" things like that. I often return to sessions with the phrase "Something's been bothering me from the last session" and he'll start in on the hard stuff, which should bother me. But, I just glare at him, stop him midsentence (because he'll go on forever, assuming he's right), and say, "No, you haven't called me beautiful" or "You didn't shake my hand" or "You forgot to offer me water" or something stupid like that... I guess it's my way of avoiding issues. Or criticising him. Or trying to find a reason not to trust him (BINGO!)...
I was upset at the joint session because I tried to "coach" my boyfriend. I told him what he could and couldn't talk about. He refused to listen to me. Then, during the session, I felt like my therapist was attacking me. I decided from that point on I was not going to share him again! Forget that. At least not while I was in the room!
It's strange though, because now I get the feeling my therapist wants me to drop my boyfriend. He says he doesn't have a particular view either way (yeah, right!) but the things he says tells a different story. And I always call him on it. I frequently ask him if it annoys him when I call him on things (and argue with him) and he says he enjoys it. That's almost enough to make me want to stop doing it. Hmmmm... I guess that means I'm testing him?
Posted by Karen_kay on December 19, 2003, at 11:33:12
In reply to Re: Shaking hands.. » Karen_kay, posted by Miss Honeychurch on December 19, 2003, at 10:08:36
My therapist also works with children. And I ask him ALL the time if I'm his favorite client. I'm sure he finds this fairly annoying by now. He says that the children are (but I'm not at all jealous of them, just the pretty clients.. but I'm sure there are only a few prettier than I am. That doesn't make me sound very nice, does it?). I can't believe your therapist shakes their hands. That's just stupid! My therapist told me at first that he would have no physical contact. And he stuck to it. Then one day he touched my shoulder on the way out. It is a good thing I wasn't facing him or he would never do it again! I was grinning ear to ear :) And another time I was wearing sandals with extremely large heels and he was making fun of me for it and he touched my foot (that kind of repulsed me as I haven't had a pedicure in a while and I'm weird about feet).
And you should be happy to have seen his next appointment. Every Thursday he's thinking, "I'm glad I have sweet little Miss Honey to look at for an hour before that sour puss comes in spilling her same old pile of sh**. Miss Honey even wrote out times on her agenda this week. How very considerate of her to try and keep us on course! And she even has a great sense of humor. I wish Miss Honey and I could hook up. Wouldn't that be grand. Instead, I have to sit here for an hour and look at Miss Sour Puss for 50 minutes. My life sucks. Oh well. Hmm, I think I have something stuck in my teeth. (digging) Mmmm roast beef."
I think this is the typical thought process of your therapist every Thursday after you leave you session. And I'm sure you were much prettier than his other client. We tend to be a lot harder on ourselves (especially our appearances) than others are.
Posted by Penny on December 19, 2003, at 12:02:22
In reply to Re: Shaking hands and feet » Miss Honeychurch, posted by Karen_kay on December 19, 2003, at 11:33:12
Karen Kay, you are terrible! :-D That was TOO funny!!!
My therapist is a woman, so I don't think the physical contact thing is as big of a deal, though I've never touched her (can't remember if we shook hands when we first met or not, though I doubt it. I dunno). But I hugged my former T (also a woman) a few times, including at the end of our last visit.
But I've never hugged my pdoc - have shaken his hand, and I know he's touched my shoulder before - but I always want to hug him, but would never do that b/c I'm sure it's against the rules. Of course, my feelings for him are very much like he's a parent, not anything even *remotely* romantic or sexual, though he is cute!
Anyway - you crack me up!!!
P
Posted by Miss Honeychurch on December 19, 2003, at 12:17:58
In reply to Re: Shaking hands and feet » Miss Honeychurch, posted by Karen_kay on December 19, 2003, at 11:33:12
Karen, I'm absolutely positive that those are his thoughts exactly. Especially the "hooking up" part ROFL!!
I had tears in my eyes from laughing so much before I even handed him the new agenda. We didn't get much done on Thursday, I was in just too silly of a mood.
You are absolutely hysterical :)
Posted by Miss Honeychurch on December 19, 2003, at 12:20:12
In reply to Re: Shaking hands and PC » LostGirl, posted by Karen_kay on December 19, 2003, at 11:17:34
My therapist has suggested bringing in my husband, but there is no way I'm going to do this. I know I would feel in direct competition with my husband and feel very hurt if I felt I was being slighted in the least way. No way, he is MINE!
Posted by Karen_kay on December 19, 2003, at 12:27:10
In reply to Re: Shaking hands and feet » Karen_kay, posted by Penny on December 19, 2003, at 12:02:22
Yeah, let me tell you about my Pdoc.... I'd post his name but I'm a little paranoid. My therapist warned me about him. He said, "Now Dr. Dick (you get the picture!!) is very straightforward. You may feel like he is interrogating you. Just answer his questions and try to get out of there ASAP." This caused me some concern. So, I went to my first few appointments and I was fine. Well, the good doc put me on Geodon. (I have Bipolar Disorder) I thought I was having a manic episode. All of the symptoms were there except I was sleeping fine. Even when I went to my therapy session, my T thought for sure I was manic. I couldn't stop talking, and I would lose track of what I was saying. I was pacing in his office. I was a wreck. I had to call the office crisis line on 3 occassions. It was awful. (And, to make matters worse, I was out of town during this episode). So, when I arrived home, I made an appointment and he yelled at me. He said that I neeed to get my facts straight before I coerce my therapist into beleiving I'm manic. I was like "Huh? I'm the patient here. You are the doctors. You are supposed to know the signs. How is it that I could coerce my therapist into believing I'm manic?" But, I didn't say anything (can you believe that? I can't!) I just cried! And then he yelled at me for going over the allotted time. It turns out that I had akethesia from the Geodon. How was I suppossed to know that? Sheesh! But, I still like him. We get along great now. But, I make sure to dress up for appointments and research any drugs I'm taking. Actually, I'm the one who suggested the drug I'm on now and it works wonderfully!
So, I'm glad you have a wonderful relationship with your Pdoc. As for mine, other than that horrific run-in we get along great. :) But,I don't shake his hand and I'd never hug him. I did send him a thank you card once.
Posted by Karen_kay on December 19, 2003, at 12:36:36
In reply to Re: Shaking hands and PC » Karen_kay, posted by Miss Honeychurch on December 19, 2003, at 12:20:12
Competition...That is precisely it. Who's side do you take? And when my boyfriend came in he knew I had a crush on my therapist. So, I felt like maybe there wasn't enough estrogen in the room and maybe too much testosterone. And my therapist knew that my boyfriend knew, which made matters worse. I explained to my therapist that my boyfriend overheard a telephone conversation where I was making some remarks. My T was like "Maybe you shouldn't make those remarks when he is around." Well, no crap Sherlock! I hate it when he tells me things I already know. But, I have a big mouth. And in my defense, he WAS in the shower at the time. I just didn't hear the water turn off.
But, oddly enough, when my boyfriend was there, I felt more like I was being judged. Judged on my choice of a mate. (I made him dress nice).. Judged on his vocabulary. I tried to make it seem like my boyfriend was A-OK. It is all about appearances with me. I still can't get over that. I guess maybe that's why I felt I was being attacked.
Posted by Penny on December 19, 2003, at 12:58:00
In reply to The good ole Pdoc.. Penny, posted by Karen_kay on December 19, 2003, at 12:27:10
Well, my pdoc is one of four I've seen. The first two were terrible - the second one had narcolepsy, which, I understand, is not his fault, but he didn't tell me and then he would fall asleep in our sessions and I didn't know whether he was listening or not, and I don't think he heard half of what I said. Then I found the wonderful doc I have now, and I refuse to let him go. But I had to see another one when I was in the hospital and he was sorely lacking in bedside manner. Of the four, the ONLY one I trust is the one I see right now. He's fabulous...
Of course, he's not for everybody. He can be a little unorthodox at times, and I think someone who is a stickler for the rules (normal office hours, etc.) would be turned off by him. But, hey, doesn't bother me! Works better with my schedule!
Sigh...I feel so fortunate.
Glad to hear that things improved after that episode with your pdoc...oh my! I don't know that I would have gone back to him!
P
Posted by Bell_75 on December 19, 2003, at 16:56:59
In reply to Re: Shaking hands.. » Karen_kay, posted by Miss Honeychurch on December 19, 2003, at 10:08:36
When I first got introduced to my therapist (the woman I was seeing was leaving the clinic so I was being changed to him) we shook hands. But ever since there has been no physical contact and I think he has made it that way because we've discussed that I have trust issues with males and how I feel uncomfortable with males I dont know touching me.
Although onetime I handed him a piece of paper and..as lame as this sounds..our fingers brushed against each others and it surprised me. I think I liked the fact that I actually touched someone I've been seeing for months and told my most intimate thoughts to.
I think he takes in consideration that I'm sensitive on the issue of males touching me because onetime he asked to look at my arm where I used to cut myself and he went to reach out and grab it to look closer but he stopped himself and just leant over closer. I felt like abit of a fruitcake! It wouldn't bother me if he touched my arm to look at it but oh well.
I do like the fact that he's always a complete gentleman in that he lets me walk through the door first and he opens any door for me and holds it open.
*he shaved off his goatee yesturday which made him look like a pre-puberty teenager and all the studness of him went down the drain with his facial hair lol I'm crazy*
Posted by Karen_kay on December 19, 2003, at 18:30:51
In reply to Re: Shaking hands..physical contact etc, posted by Bell_75 on December 19, 2003, at 16:56:59
Ok, so does your therapist ever say anything that offends you? I just remembered a comment he made to me during the last session and it now angers me.... To the hundreth degree...
He was talking about my father and how little girls want to marry someone similar to their fathers. I said, "I wouldn't want to marry anyone like my father," and he was like "Of course not, your father liked little girls." I was appauled. Why would he say something so insulting? That was just a crappy thing to say. What's the stupidest thing your therapist has ever said? I think that's got to be the worst for him. It just had no point. BTW, I meant I wouldn't marry anyone who looked similar to my father. I didn't mean what he said. (JERK!)
Posted by pegasus on December 19, 2003, at 23:16:11
In reply to Re: Shaking hands.., posted by LostGirl on December 19, 2003, at 9:11:16
Once my T and I were talking about physical contact, and when he commented that we had never touched, I said that we probably shook hands when we first met (I couldn't remember). He said that we probably hadn't because he was raised in the south and was taught that a man never offers his hand to a woman. Men and women only shake hands if the woman offers first, which most women don't. So, maybe all of y'alls therapists were also raised in the south? At least the men?
Posted by lookdownfish on December 20, 2003, at 14:15:19
In reply to crappy comment.., posted by Karen_kay on December 19, 2003, at 18:30:51
your post reminded me of the most crappy comment that annoyed me recently. I was talking once about how as a child, I used to be scared in my bed because I thought there was someone poking a knife up through the pillow... and my therapist interpreted this as sexual! Actually its more hilarious than crappy. She said my fear was probably linked to sitting on a grown-ups lap (my dad's?) and feeling a hard-on. I don't know where she gets this stuff from, because I had never mentioned anything of the sort. Unbelievable.
Posted by Karen_kay on December 20, 2003, at 15:11:30
In reply to Re: crappy comment.. » Karen_kay, posted by lookdownfish on December 20, 2003, at 14:15:19
If you were scared of a knife coming through the pillow, then what would that have to do with sitting on someone's lap? I could understand if you were scared of sitting in a chair and a knife coming through the chair and poking your butt. I think that you just had a regular child-like fear. Sometimes I feel that therapists strive to find some sexual connotation in everything we say. (Or maybe they're just insensitve and stupid jerks? Possibly both??)
Posted by Dinah on December 20, 2003, at 20:19:56
In reply to Re: Shaking hands..physical contact etc, posted by Bell_75 on December 19, 2003, at 16:56:59
Mine says he used to hug clients all the time, but doesn't so much anymore. Since I don't like to be touched, I find that a relief.
We usually go to almost ridiculous lengths to avoid touching when handing over payment or receipts or forgotten items or passing my writing back and forth. And I'm fine with that, I do it myself with other people.
But he has shaken my hand a couple of times. Once during an especially gruelling and emotional session, I had the desire to reach out to him for comfort (or perhaps to comfort him). At the end as I was leaving, I asked if I could shake his hand and he agreed. The next session I asked him if he had wondered why the unprecedented request. He told me he figured I wanted to share a hug but was only comfortable with a handshake. You know, he really is a better therapist than I give him credit for sometimes.
Then recently, I was quite upset as I was leaving. He wasn't going to be available for a week or so, and I was upset that he was angry with me (which he had been) before a therapy break. So he was trying to reassure me that he was no longer angry and suggested that we shake hands. Again, he's a pretty good therapist, or knows me really well or something. It was just what I needed to feel like he wasn't going to be harboring angry feelings. (As if he gave me another thought once I left the office. lol.)
Ok, maybe I am wrong. Maybe he really *is* magic. :)
Posted by Bell_75 on December 22, 2003, at 5:33:22
In reply to crappy comment.., posted by Karen_kay on December 19, 2003, at 18:30:51
> Ok, so does your therapist ever say anything that offends you? I just remembered a comment he made to me during the last session and it now angers me.... To the hundreth degree...
Well, sometimes he does say things that put me off slightly but i cant remember the little things only a few.
Without sounding like a broken record, the comment about 'not fitting the criteria for depression anymore' kinda felt like he was brushing me off. It shocked me because I definately didnt see it that way.
Another thing more reccently was when we were talking about intermediate beliefs ruling my negative automatic thoughts and my high morals I have. I told him that a lot is to do with wanting my mother's approval and that she passed along her morals to me that annoy me when I exercise them within my life (like not smoking, not being promiscious, no stealing/lying/cheating blah blah). So he wrote on his white board "My mother's approval is essential" and asked me how much I live by that rule. Firstly, they werent my exact words and secondly he was making my own beliefs up for me. I corrected and informed him saying that I do feel like I need my mother's approval at times but I dont feel like I cant live without it or that my world would come crumbling down around me if I didn't have it. I have done things that she has known about and not approved of and life has gone on. No biggie!
Another comment was when I said I find that I'm not a person prone to any sort of addiction. I've tried alcohol, smoking, drugs (only marijuana) and gambling and none seem to have any sort of interest for me. I'm not really desperate to do any of them to extremes or I dont have obsessive thoughts and as for the drugs and smoking cigarettes I havent wanted to take either up.
I only brought it up with him because it made me feeling like a boring person who had nothing to wind down with , had any real hobby, was interesting or took any risks/rebelled.
So his reply to me saying I dont get addictions was.."I think you do have an addiction....your anxiety."
All because I told him I didnt go jogging down at the local park because I didnt want people seeing me or vice versa. So I'll admit to have some anxiety but not to the point of it being an addiction. He said it was an obsession for me and I'm like "whaaaaaaaaat?"
I think those sort of comments moreso irk me because I get paranoid or abit uncomfortable when I feel he is passing judgement on me. I get abit edgy when I hear him start a sentence with "I think you....(insert psych's opinion/observation".
Sometimes he says "correct me if I'm wrong" other times he sits there with this smug look on his face like hes thinking "ha! I know I'm right!".
In last week's session I was really anxious and on edge from the day's and the whole week's events, I wanted to talk to him about it but he seemed stuck on the part about me needing my mother's approval so while he was writing on the board I looked at the jar of coloured pencils on the desk beside me and started turning the ones that were upside down to point upwards like the rest. I said to him with a bit of a laugh:
"aah I'm goin' all monk! I was sitting in the waiting room straighting up all the phamplets and magazines now I'm doing this like Monk does and I cant help it. Have you seen that show about the detective with OCD?"
I sort of half wanted this to lead into why I was stressed moreso than usual and he just laughed and said:
"Don't get into that habit its a bad habit" and "No I avoid shows about people with OCD and stuff like that because I see enough of it here."
*grumbles* all I could think was 'well i'm not just fidgetting/neat freak here to put on a show for you I do it alot at home too' but meh sometimes his blaise attitude puts me off.
Yeah I admit I can be over-sensitive and that I do have a known habit of negative mind reading.
In my opinion, I believe professional therapists should have consideration for clients who are obviously sensitive people and as ridiculous as some things they say sound they shouldn't poke fun at them or tease. Unintentionally harmless or not.Now I've had this little rant, I feel like saying all this to him (when I get that big shipment of assertiveness I've been waiting for) and telling him to back off. Yeah woman hear me roar!
Phew!
Just a pity I wont be seeing him for another 3 weeks and by the time that comes around I will have talked myself out of it.I just gotta remember that, professional or not, no one knows me better than me.
Posted by Dinah on December 22, 2003, at 9:07:56
In reply to Re: crappy comment...crappy observations » Karen_kay, posted by Bell_75 on December 22, 2003, at 5:33:22
Ugh. I think those things would annoy me too. I'm taking it that he's pretty strongly CBT?
Maybe you could bring your own white board next time and write down your own observations.
"Addiction to trying to nail things down quickly, without much exploration."
"It is necessary for me to have xxxx observations about cognitive distortions per week."
But don't listen to me. I only made it through three sessions with the CBT biofeedback guy and he thought I was hostile (while he thought he was direct and suffering from countertransference that was totally determined by my transference.) Believe it or not, I don't have a great record with mental health professionals. lolololol.
Posted by pegasus on December 22, 2003, at 12:26:17
In reply to Re: crappy comment...crappy observations » Bell_75, posted by Dinah on December 22, 2003, at 9:07:56
Oh, I love the idea of bringing a white board to record his distorted thoughts. Ha ha ha!
What I do instead is go home and write out all of my frustrations, and then bring them in to my next session and say, "Here's what I thought after our last session." He says it makes him feel incompetent sometimes, and while I feel a little bad about that . . . I don't feel TOO BAD. Sometimes he does screw up, and I think over time it has helped our relationship to point out the things he's done that annoyed me. Of course, sometimes he gets defensive and doesn't see things the same way as me, which is really frustrating. But overall, I think it helps me to be able to point out his foibles. Sort of equalizes things, and keeps him on his toes. Does that make me hostile too? Probably.
Posted by Bell_75 on December 22, 2003, at 19:06:59
In reply to Re: crappy comment...crappy observations » Bell_75, posted by Dinah on December 22, 2003, at 9:07:56
LOL My own whiteboard, thats ingenius! I love it!
He often says to me 'if you dont agree with something I say you're most welcome to correct me on it or give me feedback on how you think we're going" and I know he says that with confidence because he *knows* I lack assertiveness and rather than tell him how I feel I'll just sit there stewing inside being uber pissed off.
I've had my little moments of bursts of confidence though where I've hit him up on something I thought he was wrong about and being too quick to come to conclusions and I liked the fact that it surprised him because he wasnt expecting it.
Yeah he is mainly CBT orientated thats why I'm seeing him specificly. With the therapist I had before him at the same place we started CBT but didnt get very much into it before she left so she gave me the option that I could see another psychologist to continue/finish CBT with them or I could see a social worker who does counselling but isnt trained in CBT so doesnt perform it.
I chose to see a psych because I did want to finish CBT but also I know from past experiences that the results are better.
One thing that gets my goat as far as this guy (my therapist) and CBT goes that we were doing CBT work on a regular basis and it was going well then all of a sudden we got sidetracked and left it completely. He himself even complains about how inconsistent our sessions are compared to his with other clients and that we tend to go all over the place and have unstructured session.
*writes on her own whiteboard "T has control issues and is finding it difficult being in an unstructed situation. Despite client's efforts to resolve this structure problem T himself seems to be the one that keeps the sessions in this unstructed rut. Conclusion? T is all talk no action.* LOL harsh. Part of me thinks "thank god he isnt reading this or knows that I'm talking about him here" and another thinks "I wish he could read this so he knows exactly what my thoughts on him are"
I know it would only take one time for me to mention this message board and curiosity would get the better of him and he'd go looking for it.
Hmm...what a concept, eh?
I feel much more relaxed with the state of mind that I can talk to people that relate to my feelings and experiences in therapy without him knowing about it.I've had an idea for a new thread kickin' around in my head for awhile now so I'm gunna go give it a try. Wish me luck and watch out!
Posted by Speaker on December 22, 2003, at 22:22:39
In reply to Re: crappy comment...crappy observations, posted by Bell_75 on December 22, 2003, at 19:06:59
I have been catching up on the board and I sat and read all of this thread. I was laughing out loud and my husband came in to find out what was so funny :)...I shared the nose-picking, teeth-picking, peeing therapists I have read about. Thank you all for your candor! I do have a delima...my old T always asked if I wanted a hug before I left (after a year he just knew I did)...my new T shook my hand the first time and I have seen him 5 times and no touching...is this the norm for most of them??? He has also never told me how to get ahold of him if I have a problem in between sessions. Should I ask or wait until he offers the info. I have only been on this board for about 2 months and I appreciate you all SO MUCH !!!
Posted by Karen_kay on December 22, 2003, at 22:36:39
In reply to Thank-you Thank-you Thank-you, posted by Speaker on December 22, 2003, at 22:22:39
I needed a laugh, desperately. So, after reading your post I decided to go back and reread all of the posts again. I think we should vote on the worst behavior. I'm going to reread and cast my vote, though I think it will be close between Dinah and Miss Honey.... Hmmmmm...
Posted by Karen_kay on December 23, 2003, at 1:20:21
In reply to Re: crappy comment...crappy observations...Dinah, posted by pegasus on December 22, 2003, at 12:26:17
He says it makes him feel incompetent sometimes, and while I feel a little bad about that . . . I don't feel TOO BAD. Sometimes he does screw up, and I think over time it has helped our relationship to point out the things he's done that annoyed me.
<<<He says it makes him feel incompetent when you write out your frustrations? Weird! Everyone gets frustrated during therapy and with their therapist. It doesn't mean that the therapist is incompetent. Strange that he feels that way. Next time he says that, put your chin on your hand and say, "Why do you feel that way?"
Of course, sometimes he gets defensive and doesn't see things the same way as me, which is really frustrating.<<<YES!!!! Do we see the same therapist? Oh, of course not, mine doesn't have a white board. If he ever pulled one out, I'd throw it at him. What is the deal with the white board anyway? It seems odd. I'd take it as an insult, like I was in a classroom. Condesending in a way. Do you see it that way? But, my therapist will say something and I am positive I know exactly what he means. Later, the following session, I'll question him about it and he'll become defensive. Oh, because he's the therapist obviously I'M the one who's confused. Everything that I remember from the conversation is from SELECTIVE memory, and I've put my own spin on things. And since I OBVIOUSLY have a faulty thought process, I'm wrong and he's right. END OF CONVERSATION. Let's move on. [HMMM... If you can't tell, I'm upset with him about something. Maybe the fact that he didn't tell me he was taking 2 weeks off, and he pressed me during the session.....Stupid therapist...]
But overall, I think it helps me to be able to point out his foibles. Sort of equalizes things, and keeps him on his toes. Does that make me hostile too? Probably.Probably not. It is possible that he isn't always perfect. And it is also possible that he doesn't get everything exactly right on the first try. My therapist is usually very open to criticism, especially during the session. Now, if it is later (like the next week) then we have problems. But, since he is often wrong :) I tend to prefer to think that I am right and he is wrong. It doesn't mean you are hostile because you point things out to him. I just sometimes wonder what they are thinking....
Posted by Bell_75 on December 23, 2003, at 5:15:59
In reply to Thank-you Thank-you Thank-you, posted by Speaker on December 22, 2003, at 22:22:39
> I have been catching up on the board and I sat and read all of this thread. I was laughing out loud and my husband came in to find out what was so funny :)...I shared the nose-picking, teeth-picking, peeing therapists I have read about. Thank you all for your candor! I do have a delima...my old T always asked if I wanted a hug before I left (after a year he just knew I did)...my new T shook my hand the first time and I have seen him 5 times and no touching...is this the norm for most of them??? He has also never told me how to get ahold of him if I have a problem in between sessions. Should I ask or wait until he offers the info. I have only been on this board for about 2 months and I appreciate you all SO MUCH !!!
Heheh glad we could make you laugh. It is hillarious some of the stuff I've read about that therapists have done, makes me wish mine was as amusing.
Also, when I read that your therapist used to ask you if you wanted a hug....*siiiigh*...I would absolutely love it if mine asked me that but I know its not going to happen. Sometimes when I'm so overwhelmed by my emotions the only thing that can bring me even the slightest relief is a hug. And after a really full on session I feel like hugging said T because I'm just so drained and exhausted and I feel like no one outside of that room would understand why I needed that hug because they werent there.
Hmm as for contact between sessions...I've often mentioned to my T that when something really bad has happened I've felt like ringing the office at the building he works in and asking to speak to him cause I've really needed to. He hasn't said anything about it so i dont know what his thoughts on it are but then i later discovered he is only there 2 days a week anyways and I see him on one of those. When I've had really extreme suicidal thoughts I've wanted to ring him and talk to him so he could talk me out of it because I'm scared but that fact that I've come through them without calling him makes me realise I'm stronger than I give myself credit for.
Anywho, I suggest if you think you need this info then to just bring it up one session and sort of inquire as to whether its okay for clients to ring him/her between sessions or if he has other clients that do.
He might suggest writing down the thoughts if thats what you're calling for, that helps me when I need to talk to him and I can't.
*hugs* Hope you have a great christmas, hun.
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