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Old Apr 10, 2016, 09:35 AM
notwithhaste notwithhaste is offline
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Member Since: Jan 2015
Location: US
Posts: 46
Quote:
Originally Posted by ruh roh View Post
My therapist has never called me abusive, but when I look back on my younger self (around your age) and in therapy with my first therapist, I can see that I lashed out a lot, called her incompetent. She was, in fact, incompetent and/or inexperienced (I don't know which because she gave up her practice--so I think she sort of figured it out on her own). This was well before trauma was considered as a cause of symptoms, and that therapist was new and utterly lost. Regardless, I was a mess and she was not going to be the person to help me right my ship.

I share that because, from reading your account, your therapist doesn't sound able to help you. The problem is, she also seems to be as enmeshed as you are in the relationship.

Yes, a client should be able to be angry and go through a range of emotions and not have the therapist react or retaliate, but the reality is that not all of them are skilled enough to navigate a client through that without getting (as you say) caught up. So, there is the ideal (which some people are able to find--good for them), and there is the reality, which leaves clients with therapists who have a lot of limitations.

I'm really sorry for the pain you're in. Is there anyway you can get back to issues that took you to therapy? Things outside your relationship? Because if you're not able to leave (which would probably be the healthiest option), that's one way to untangle this.
Thanks for sharing your experience, ruh roh. That's actually what I had been trying to do, just refocus on other things and try to make my sessions useful - and I think we were doing okay for a couple of months. This is the first relationship-related conversation we've had in a while. I think you're right. Pretty much the only way to untangle the knot while staying with her is to just drop it and go back to talking about other things. We're unlikely to resolve this fight.

I definitely have lashed out at her. I guess the problem is that, for the first 8 months or so, I could do that and she wouldn't retaliate, would validate my feelings, etc. Then something changed. I can't help but feel like I broke her. :/
Hugs from:
Anonymous37817, Bill3, Bipolar Warrior, brillskep, unaluna
Thanks for this!
Gavinandnikki