Thanks for an interesting post. In my former psychodynamic therapy we talked about a lot of subject like relations, unemployment, childhood. In my current therapy we do have goals but I donīt know if my T feels itīs possbile to reach them due to a limited time span within public health care.
I felt supported by the thing you wrote last in your post, that I shouldnīt worry about not being able to benefit from therapy. I look for as many positive changes as possible and what now worries me most is that my T will have to end therapy because of resources and then I wonīt get referalls or any legal right to continue therapy.
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Originally Posted by -jimi-
When in therapy before, what did you guys do in therapy? What kinds of things did you talk about?
Not a huge fan of psychodynamic therapy but I'm not sure what your concern is... if it is that it helps only other types of issues... or if you feel you might lack the emotions to connect to the therapist. If it is the latter, all "autistic" people are not only rational and distanced. My best counselor was actually a very warm and quite emotional person and at that time in my life I truly needed to meet someone with a personality like his. I wasn't immune to his rich emotional inner life. Now he also had quite high IQ and good reasoning skills so that helped too.
He was not at all psychodynamic oriented but he was the opposite to the type of therapy that just teaches and does not get involved.
I think with ASD there needs to be some aspects of active problem solving, even if the therapy is mainly slanted towards other things. If the therapy is solely about an almost mystical exploring of the self, I think an ASD person can be quite lost doing that.
I can't see why an ASD cannot benefit from NT therapy, especially if it is somewhat adapted. One thing someone with ASD might need (and also some NT:s) that is usually not part of psychodynamic therapy is setting goals, deciding from the start what the goals should be and working towards those.
If you need a place to vent feelings that is not wrong either. It is a misconception ASD people lack emotion and cannot feel hurt. Some feelings are even amplified because of ASD (like anxiety), but just cuz you are born with ASD does not mean you can work to get anxiety levels down.
As for learning social skills, if that is problem, I think it more takes the right person than the right method. You need someone who has a flexible mind and understands your thinking. To suggest things and fill in the gaps.
No matter if ASD or NT, no therapy can change a person altogether, it can just make you "more you", a better functioning you. All therapy has a limit, as it should have. If you feel therapy has helped somewhat, it has. Any progress is good. I don't think you should worry you do not have potential for therapy, you do from what you say. Very few people go through total transformations with therapy. But quite a few get better.
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