Quote:
Originally Posted by Bipolar Warrior
I'm not sure there is a recipe for this, but if you do get attached it is important to have a therapist who understands it and is able to work with it. Have you ever tried seeing an integrative therapist? They use a variety of approaches rather than just one. They don't believe in the single theory approach, which means that they will tailor their approach to suit the individual client's needs.
Integrative therapy
Both my university therapist and my private therapist are integrative. I am not someone who attaches easily, so I'm not particularly attached to my private therapist, but I am extremely attached to the other one because I love her. Luckily she understands attachment, and has used it as a tool for healing, as well as loving me back and not being afraid to express it.
The funny thing is that I instantly found my private therapist very agreeable, and went for her without interviewing any others. I felt comfortable. With my uni therapist I actually spent the first few sessions feeling a bit scared because I had never met anyone like her before, but I'm pretty sure the main thing I was afraid of was love. And my uni therapist has helped me a lot more than my private therapist has, including all the bumps along the way. Sometimes it helps to feel like something is real, rather than "professional" and seemingly without faults.
Either way, they have both been good for me, because they have adjusted their approach to me based on what they have observed about me, but they have also seemed very open to hear my input on how I am feeling about it. I think the main advantage of the integrative approach is that it is less rigid, because these therapists don't subscribe to just one single theory. It makes them flexible and I believe they are much easier to work with compared to others; I would be wary of a strictly psychodynamic therapist, for example. My uni therapist has used psychodynamic techniques on me, but there have always been other techniques in the mix.
If you are worried about attachment, maybe it would also help to do a bit more research on the various theories and approaches of therapy? It has helped me at times, as I like knowing exactly what is being "done to" me, if that makes sense. You can read about all the different types of therapy on that website I linked to above, if you want to; it is a very useful guide to understanding what the therapists are doing and how it works. Sometimes it helps just to stay aware of the process.
Good luck!
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Thank you for this. I am already worried that where I am moving, therapy comes in two flavors-- religious-based and secular. I would love an integrative therapist and I will be on the lookout. In my initial search it has been hard finding even my basic criteria for a T. I worry about looking for someone too specific. (I want a unicorn but a pony may have to do)
My last two T's had strong leanings but ended up being more flexible than I originally thought they would be.
I will read up on the link-thank you!!