[SarahSweden]

I have the PDD NOS diagnosis and in my diagnosis paper there isn´t anything in particular that specifies my actual difficulties. Before I got the diagnosis I saw a psychodynamic T and I felt I benefit from that by being more positive, getting a bit more of a self esteem, feeling more hope and such. I saw her only 12 times so there were no practical influences on my life, for example getting out of unemployment. But still, I felt much stronger when I was in that therapy.

Now, about one and a half year later and after getting the diagnosis I see another T, I don´t like her nearly as much as my former T, but my primary concern is that because of the PDD NOS diagnosis I won´t be able to benefit from a psychodynamic therapy, no matter who the T is.

I´ve read a lot that people with an ASD diagnosis won´t benefit from a psychodynamic therapy but at the same time my T has worked (I don´t know how successfully or not though) with several clients with a more "severe" form of ASD and she also knows about my PDD NOS.

I haven´t got any proper answer from my T herself and I feel worried about this. Has anyone here benefit from a psychodynamic therapy? If so, did you make any changes in your "real" life so to speak?

[The_little_didgee]

I'm in therapy and have an ASD diagnosis. My therapist tends to use the psychodynamic approach even though she doesn't really go into depth about my past. I'm definitely getting positive results from it.

My therapy tends to be practical, which is very different from the content that people post in the psychotherapy forum. I focus on problems that I can work on and social skills, rather than analyzing the relationship with my therapist and parents. Analyzing a relationship makes no sense to me, probably because I'm not a very emotional person and into forming all kinds of deep relationships. I consider my therapist to be a consultant, someone I do business with.

I did a lot of healing after I was diagnosed with ASD. For years I suffered due to misdiagnosis, since it came with all kinds of assumptions. A lot of therapists thought I had "suppressed memories of abuse" and came from a dysfunctional family. None of that was true. It confused me, even though I knew they were wrong. Once I got a proper diagnosis my life changed and I started to heal. Therapy allowed that to happen, because I was finally able to discuss what I went through and express my hurt.

[SarahSweden]

Thanks. It seems that your T is really adapting (I mean it in a positive way) to your diagnosis and that she integrates a bit of CBT as well. I do want to analyse the relationship with my T and also talk about relationships with other people and my T tells me (at least she says so) that I have a lot of insight.

I think knowing about my PDD NOS diagnosis combined with a general uncertainty makes me hesitate and I find it hard to know whether the therapeutic relationship is good enough or not. I agree it´s valuable to went but I´m very unsure about that will help me reach any goals.

Do you have specific goals in therapy that you and your T follow up regularly?

Originally Posted by The_little_didgee

I'm in therapy and have an ASD diagnosis. My therapist tends to use the psychodynamic approach even though she doesn't really go into depth about my past. I'm definitely getting positive results from it.

My therapy tends to be practical, which is very different from the content that people post in the psychotherapy forum. I focus on problems that I can work on and social skills, rather than analyzing the relationship with my therapist and parents. Analyzing a relationship makes no sense to me, probably because I'm not a very emotional person and into forming all kinds of deep relationships. I consider my therapist to be a consultant, someone I do business with.

I did a lot of healing after I was diagnosed with ASD. For years I suffered due to misdiagnosis, since it came with all kinds of assumptions. A lot of therapists thought I had "suppressed memories of abuse" and came from a dysfunctional family. None of that was true. It confused me, even though I knew they were wrong. Once I got a proper diagnosis my life changed and I started to heal. Therapy allowed that to happen, because I was finally able to discuss what I went through and express my hurt.

[-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.

[The_little_didgee]

Originally Posted by SarahSweden

Thanks. It seems that your T is really adapting (I mean it in a positive way) to your diagnosis and that she integrates a bit of CBT as well. I do want to analyse the relationship with my T and also talk about relationships with other people and my T tells me (at least she says so) that I have a lot of insight.

How will analyzing the relationship with your therapist help?

Originally Posted by SarahSweden

I think knowing about my PDD NOS diagnosis combined with a general uncertainty makes me hesitate and I find it hard to know whether the therapeutic relationship is good enough or not. I agree it´s valuable to went but I´m very unsure about that will help me reach any goals.

Have you ever discussed the diagnosis? Exploring it may reveal how it has shaped you into the person you are today.

What are you goals?

Originally Posted by SarahSweden

Do you have specific goals in therapy that you and your T follow up regularly?

We generally focus on social skills and other things such as time management. Sometimes I talk about my misdiagnosis.

Lately a lot of my therapy has been focused on problem solving social interactions. This seems to work well, since I learn by doing. When I discuss a problem my therapist will usually ask a lot of questions to get me to consider the other person's perspective, my feelings and options to deal with it. This has helped me understand people a bit more and relate to them better.

[SarahSweden]

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 don´t know if my T feels it´s 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 shouldn´t 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 won´t get referalls or any legal right to continue therapy.

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.

[SarahSweden]

Thanks. As I saw a relational therapist before my current T I know the relationship itself is a key to healing and to understand issues and problems. I have mentioned my diagnosis several times but it isn´t my T or her clinic that has given me the diagnoses and by that she isn´t into the specific examination.

I have several goals and we have also written them down in my journal but I don´t know if my T believes we can reach them or not. But I will never just end therapy without reaching my goals, if my T ends it because of resources I´ll report it. Not her personally but the insufficiency within the public health care system.

I think it´s valuable to discuss things the way you describe you do with your T, to get perspectives, to understand you´re not alone with your problems and so on.

Originally Posted by The_little_didgee

How will analyzing the relationship with your therapist help?


Have you ever discussed the diagnosis? Exploring it may reveal how it has shaped you into the person you are today.

What are you goals?


We generally focus on social skills and other things such as time management. Sometimes I talk about my misdiagnosis.

Lately a lot of my therapy has been focused on problem solving social interactions. This seems to work well, since I learn by doing. When I discuss a problem my therapist will usually ask a lot of questions to get me to consider the other person's perspective, my feelings and options to deal with it. This has helped me understand people a bit more and relate to them better.