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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 7 of 7. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by chaaya on March 2, 2005, at 11:39:48
I have been in therapy for a few months now and am on my 4th therapist. I’m not sure yet if I have found the right one. I struggle with what therapy is and what I’m supposed to be getting out of it. The therapy is talk therapy. We talk about issues in my life – current issues and past issues but never talk about how I should deal with them. I am bipolar and at the moment I am rapid cycling so I’m trying to deal with some periods of depression on a daily basis. Also, I’m struggling with some anorexia and thoughts of cutting. We talk about all of these things. I have a really hard time staying focused so I do get off track very easily. Is it my responsibility to drive these items to some sort of resolution or is it the responsibility of the therapist to try to keep me on track? I would be interested in hearing what other people’s therapy is like. Do you just talk about issues, or do you talk about how to deal with them?
Posted by annierose on March 2, 2005, at 18:32:01
In reply to What is Talk Therapy, posted by chaaya on March 2, 2005, at 11:39:48
I didn't want your question to go unanswered, although I don't know exactly how to answer. Every therapist works differently. You can google psychotherapy and read about all the different approaches. I think it's a combination of you talking about things that you want to, the T asking you questions to help you answer some of your own concerns and sometimes a T will give you ideas about how you might want to handle certain situations. Rarely do T's say, "do this" ... it's a mutual discussion. Your therapists may not want to stay "on track", rather explore where your unconcscious thoughts are taking you. This isn't a quick fix. You've been with 4 therapist over what length of time? It's takes years sometimes to work on some issues. And are you seeing a p-doc for medications? ... just a few thoughts
Posted by gardenergirl on March 3, 2005, at 0:24:38
In reply to Re: What is Talk Therapy, posted by annierose on March 2, 2005, at 18:32:01
Hi Chaaya,
It may help to try to clarify your goals with your T. If you two are not on the same page with what you want to accomplish, then it's often like spinning your wheels. Do you and your T have a mutually agreed upon treatment plan?gg
Posted by chaaya on March 3, 2005, at 1:56:33
In reply to Re: What is Talk Therapy, posted by annierose on March 2, 2005, at 18:32:01
I've been in therapy for less than a year. I've had trouble finding someone with a personality that I feel comfortable with. I do feel very comfortable talking to this therapist. It's just that sometimes we start out talking about important issues and then the session is over and I realize that we had gotten off track and spent almost the whole session on topics that to me seem really unimportant. There have been a few times when I feel like I could get as much out of having coffee with a friend as I get from my sessions. I don't know if this is a typical type of thing to have happen and wondered if sessions are usually more structured or directed.
I do see a pdoc and am being treated for bipolar (I'm currently on 4 meds). The pdoc is the one who pushed me to go into therapy. One of my ex-stepmothers is a psychologist and she convinced me that therapists have more issues than the people they are suppose to be helping, so it took some pushing for me to go into therapy.
Posted by chaaya on March 3, 2005, at 1:59:51
In reply to Re: What is Talk Therapy, posted by gardenergirl on March 3, 2005, at 0:24:38
I don't have a treatment plan. I guess I should ask to create one. Is it typical to have one?
Posted by annierose on March 3, 2005, at 6:39:34
In reply to Re: What is Talk Therapy » annierose, posted by chaaya on March 3, 2005, at 1:56:33
Maybe you can start your next session by saying that ... "sometimes I feel xyz when we stray off an important topic ..." My T is psychodynamic so she would encourage me to say whatever thoughts pop into my head. The unconscious works in strange ways. Maybe I'm moving off a difficult topic because I find it uncomfortable to delve deeper ... and she would point that out for further discussion. I find it a different experience than talking with a friend. First of all, I talk about way more personal issues, and the pace of the conversation, for me, is completely different. I guess what I'm trying to say, with a friend, it's not "all about me", but a session with a T is, so that focus, just on me, I find uncomfortable, but my T and I talk about that too. Ramble, ramble, it's early, so I'm not pulling my thoughts together. Sorry
Posted by gardenergirl on March 3, 2005, at 8:50:07
In reply to Re: What is Talk Therapy » gardenergirl, posted by chaaya on March 3, 2005, at 1:59:51
Not every therapist uses one. But many states and third party payers (insurance) require one. It's best if they are worked on together versus the therapist writing it all alone.
Even if you don't need a treatment plan, you can ask your T to talk about goals, ways to tell if you are reaching goals, and ways to reach them. Kind of a big picture of what to expect and what her plan is.
Good luck.
gg
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