Hi, When dealing with dissociation(forget, but not) & memories, and the do I or don't I want to do therapy now, look for someone who is knowledgeable in the PTSD field and ask them those questions you have because you are right it is case by case but also each therapist has a different approach. What I like, you might not like in a T. I went to therapy a complete novice about any of this stuff and got lucky, I had a good T who knew I had PTSD, but I didn't have memories and didn't get the full picture for years. Back then they believed you had to relieve the memories to get better, now they don't think every person has to, so not all T's will aim for you to "recover" memories. That may be something you would want to discuss before starting the acual therapy. One thing I've noticed that seems to be a big issue, but is just a personal preference is that a lot of people perfer to go at their own speed, but others say they need a T that will push them a bit. This is another one off those things that is best talked about before you get invested into the relationship, because a T is only a stranger for a short time.

Even though they believed in pushing memories back when my journey began, as I say I got lucky, I had a great T who let me pick the pace and sometimes I felt overwhelmed with memories and needed to back off, other times I felt like I must have dreamed the whole thing and I was just a lier, but he always belived in me. He was a stranger when we started but he became my rock. When I decided I needed a break, he suported my decision, when things where overwhelming he was there and my needs came first, this was the one place my needs always came first, I wasn't a mom, or a co-worker-a wife or care-taker, this was the place where I mattered most it really helped to have that. I never knew alot about him, never wanted to, I needed him to be a T and not fully human, knowing about his kids and family life in more detail would have made him too human for me, so for me he was more than a stranger but he wasn't someone I could tell you much about and that was perfect for me. I later had group therapy with him and some of the others knew alot more about him and it seemed important to them that they did, they needed to. That too would be up to you and your T. Since that time I've had other T's some I knew better, I was at a place I was more secure and I didn't need a super human who could save me from the horrors. Good luck with your decision and if you decide to go to therapy with your search.