[jpb4815]

Are you happy with the relationship you have developed?

For me it took 3 tries to find one who gets me. But I have been seeing her for 3 years now. We have great relationship.

[Victoria'smom]

I'm in the process of getting a new T.

[BeyondtheRainbow]

10 years. It's hard to believe it's been so long but it's true. He's treated me longer than anyone else he has ever treated. I'll probably see him until he retires. Which I imagine will be sooner than I want. Probably obviously I'm very happy with our relationship. I went through a lot of therapists before I started with him and only one other was such a good match (I saw him about 4 years but that was college so it was time limited).

hm. I started seeing him in October, so... 10 months? I'm new to this whole therapy gig.

[boogiesmash]

2 years. Sometimes I feel like she isn't worth it. Other times I'm wowed.

[Unrigged64072835]

Five years for me. Still have a ways to go.

[Wander]

Six years. I love my T. He is wise, knowledgeable, caring and very sharp at reading me. I doubt I would have made it without him on my side.

[MBM17]

3 years.

I've met with 13 therapists for more than 4 sessions (4 sessions is what I use as a benchmark to say, "I gave this a good try.") Until my current therapist, I'd met with all of them for less than a year each.

7 of the 13 caused more harm than help.
Totaling all the harmful therapists makes a rough total of 19 months.

Up until my current therapist, I'd had 4 helpful therapists. The helpful therapist time totaled 9 months.

I spent way more time with harmful therapists than helpful therapists.

Now I meet with my current therapist, who is really, really helpful. I've been seeing him for 3 years, and (bless him!) he tipped the scale so I've now spent more time with helpful therapists than harmful.

[SingDanceRunLife]

8 years give or take. I really love her and I think we have a great relationship that is definitely therapeutic but also we know how to have a good time when time calls for it.

Originally Posted by jpb4815

Are you happy with the relationship you have developed?

For me it took 3 tries to find one who gets me. But I have been seeing her for 3 years now. We have great relationship.

did you seriously just post this thread

i was about to post the same thing (seriously)

this forum is.... sort of magic?

no matter what section i'm in, or what i'm thinking, the thread or the user shows up

spooky

[wildflowerchild25]

I have been seeing my current one for almost a year, off and on. I saw her for three months and then went back to an IOP program for three months so I didn't see her then, then I saw her for another three months and then lost my insurance when I quit my job so I haven't seen her all summer. I like her, but I don't feel like I need therapy right now. It's a real pain In The *** to go once a week. But I want to keep her so that if I do start feeling poorly again I have someone to talk to, and also have someone to talk to when all my grief issues come up, which they do once in a while. So when my new insurance starts on sept 1 I will make an appointment with her. I hope I can convince her to see me every other week though.

[alincdytyourmeds]

Almost a year with mine. He's been the first and only one so I have nothing to compare to. Some times I think we are wasting time shooting the breeze, and other times I see where he is going with it.

[MBM17]

I answered how long I've been with this therapist, but I didn't answer your second question of if I'm happy with the relationship we've developed.

I am.
I like that he values what I have to say. He respects what I think and doesn't think he's always right, unlike some of my previous therapists.
Sometimes I wonder if I wished that he'd be more like those therapists on TV who have all these brilliant insights and tell people the magical things to do - but then I shake my head. I would get angry if someone else acted like they knew me better than I know myself and if they told me what to do.
He's encouraging and kind but also is really firm in stopping me when I start going down that dark hole of suicidality.

[fairydustgirl]

I have been with my current therapist since 2007, I saw two in 2006, one was 3 visits where it was very obvious we didn't click...and the second one lasted several months until she suggested several times that I should drink wine for my sleep issues instead of the prescription medicine my psychiatrist had prescribed for me. Pdoc said 'get a new one'. I love the one I have now, we have a lot of things in common enough that there feels like a connection. If I had not needed a therapist and met her in some other social situation we might have actually become friends. BUT I totally respect the boundary, and keep that boundary for myself as well.

[~Christina]

I saw numerous T's years ago , walked away for a few decades..

My current T and I have been together for over 5 years now ! He's an amazing person , he has helped me in so many ways , He helped me realize that I do indeed deserve love and to continue to walk this earth.

He's 68 and is going to retire at some point. We both acknowledge that him and I have waded through some very ugly stuff, He has learned alot from me about my particular Bipolar soup..... he listened and nudged me or flat out pushed me if I needed it ..LOL

I didnt need a cheerleader when I jumped back in the Therapy pool , I needed someone to help me fight the difficult hard horrible past that I needed to get through.

I often think of the day that we will have our last session , It will be tear filled but he literally has saved my life many many times. It will be a session with a mass overdose of Chocolate cake !

I learned one valuable lesson " if therapy isn't hard your not really doing it right" (Hense why I left T for a few decades)