A question after 2 meetings with the psychologist. Is this a sign of a decent therapist?
Answer:
The first several sessions will seem like just "talking" but after a while you will notice that this talking is actually helping. It helps because you can say whatever you want without any consequences and it is to a third party who is not involved in your life, and who won't judge you. If you want more, however, just tell you therapist. They are there for you, and they can't give you what you need, if you don't tell them what that is.
I've never been to a therapist either, but my guess is that they need some background so that they can kind of get to know you before trying to help you with your problems. I'd say that two 50-minute sessions isn't unreasonable to try to get to know some background... especially if the problem is complicated--which problems tend to be!
Sounds as if you Therapist is on the right track. Every Therapist is different, and may use different technique, so keep this in mind too. In terms of talking to you about your background, how else is he/she going to get to the root of your issue? So go ahead, open up! It will help you in the end.
In order for a good psychologist to help you, he or she has to have a good detailed background about your case. Usually, by the third or fourth session, you should be getting into specific issues and solutions to those issues. I know that therapy with a good psychologist, coupled with my psychiatrist, were more than helpful in my recovery. I learned in therapy how to change the way I feel by changing the way I think. I hope you get as much success in therapy as I did.
Does not sound out of the ordinary. Remember you are the customer, don't be afraid to ask him questions. You can ask about his background if it is important to you. In order for a therapeutic relationship to develop there must be some kind of trust. It is too soon to tell if this therapist is good for you.
Perfectly normal. The first couple of sessions are mostly for intake/background purposes. We've got to get a solid foundation to leap off from, then go from there. Depending on which theories/practice techniques your therapist ascribes to really will depend on how much background info you give him and how much he'll need in the long run.
Good luck!
Yes, it's a common and necessary practice for a therapist to take a thorough personal, developmental, and psychological history in order to make accurate decisions about the problem that you are presenting with. Mental health is very unlike physical health is that there is a greater deal of contextual information that needs to be taken before making a diagnosis. Whereas a medical doctor can look at symptoms and make a decision fairly soon, a therapist needs to take much more information to make an accurate diagnosis. Best of luck to you.
Why are you in therapy and what do you hope to get out of if? That should help in shaping your sessions and also picking a therapist. I've been going over this with my current therapist for months now. I have to go to get the medications that get me out of bed each morning.
If you are seeking cognitive behavior therapy, I'm guessing you have the wrong therapist. If you're doing narrative therapy, then you may have the right therapist for you. The former helped my symptoms and allowed me to get off several meds. The latter seems to make me feel worse about my self, my life and my family.
Actually, this is a sign of a competent therapist. It's essential to see you in the context of your life. Otherwise, your therapist would be making a lot of assumptions - about what's happened to you in the past, about how you respond to challenges in life, and about how you see yourself and your problems. Everything in therapy is supposed to be individualized to fit you, and, so, the therapist HAS to know you, or nothing he says will feel right or helpful.
Keep at it, be honest. Also, go ahead and say that you're concerned about when the history-taking will stop and the dealing with issues will begin.
The two states of human existence are in the winners circle of players or in the outcast circle of depressives. It takes time to decide how to lead you out of one state. By learning the rules of the majority players you can manage in this world but you will always be an outsider person. The therapist is always afraid to say too much because you could freak out and die.
Some therapsts take a long history like that. It is pretty typical. I know it is frusturating to have to wait to get things done.
YES IT IS NORAML. IT TAKES TIME..
Your Doc is doing fine. He has to know your history to know why you have the issues that you have.
I have been seeing the same therapist for over 9 years. The longer you go the fewer questions he will ask and the more talking you will do. It's all about talking about feelings and how you dealt/deal with them.
Be grateful for the Doc you have found and Good Luck.
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