Quote:
Originally Posted by Xynesthesia
We probably have some similarities  I hope your therapy will be more useful though than mine was, given that you are more on the starting side. These tendencies about the addiction and distraction is something I now would always tell a T right in the first session and ask them to keep an eye on it and push me a bit if they see I get into that pattern, onto all sorts of irrelevant tangents all over the map etc. Ask to push me back in line with my goals (this can only apply to you if you have specific goals though and willing to work on the blocks both in and outside of therapy). I actually did tell my Ts, including that I had a tendency to email too much and use that as distraction as well - my first T got totally confused and entangled himself, second T did not reinforce it but unfortunately never said anything I did was wrong or not in my best interest either. I wound be much more mindful not to let that happen now but, as I imagine, only I could lead that, many Ts tend to be too drawn into all the interesting but often useless tangents and investigations and don't care much about seeing practical benefit, or say it will take time. Of course, then we pay them longer... |
I was going to suggest perhaps giving it another go by sharing these thoughts during the initial contact phase and someway judging whether they're a fit through their response and level of thinking - I believe this is where the issue somewhat lies - we humans all think on different levels and it's about finding one that thinks, or is able to think, on yours. And one that is able to explore on this level without fearing stepping away from the standard, which more often than not is flawed. Only then are they able to identify and appropriately challenge the BS you and I get ourselves into because a person on the same level would have understood how much of an issue it really is. For every other therapist, discouragement will not occur, perhaps because it is a way to keep the client coming back for more, particularly one who is able to think on a level where at times they may know more than the therapist, and thus, the only thing bringing them back for more is therapy as a coping strategy.
However, your last point could be the unfortunate reality, making all of this effort pointless.
I will nonetheless take your advice and share this with my T this week. She appears to take my insights into great consideration. Curious to see where she goes with this..