Do you feel your T understands you?

Finding a good T is a huge task from the get go. Most claim to have some training in either trauma and /or PTSD, but not specifically CPTSD. In fact I have gotten the dear in the headlights look when I have mentioned it to some T's. One, who was the best, borrowed my Pete Walker book just to get a better understanding of it. Sadly I had to stop seeing her because lack of insurance.
So since most have some idea about PTSD, they zero in on this one trauma and work only on that, or at least that's been my experience. So I don't feel like the T has a "big picture" view of what I dealing with. It's so frustrating especially since it's so hard for me to talk to a T, the dissociation during the session and leaving there in such a mental fog I go home and go to sleep.
Anyone else relate to this in some way?

That should be deer in the headlights

I've been with 3 T. The first and third are specifically childhood trauma specialists, although they both told me that there wasn't a ton of training in that. They had to seek out meetings, colleagues, research, etc, on their own...I think that's changing, but certainly 20 years ago, not a lot of it. My second T didn't know anything about trauma. He was a nice guy, but I only stayed with him for 3 months.

In addition to understanding cPTSD, dissociation, etc...my belief is that a therapist who hasn't walked a similar path isn't helpful. I don't see how someone could help a childhood trauma survivor who hasn't experienced some of it themselves. Like we've talked about, how do you describe emptiness and profound dissociation to someone who's never experienced it?

I now have a list of 'interview' questions if I ever need a new T. I would ask them about their training, if they understand dissociation, fragmented personality, their own trauma history. They'll all say yes to all this, but after a while, you can see right away who gets it and who doesn't.

Totally agree, with what you said. Even though they are getting more educated about CPTSD they still have a long way to go. If we could only clone Pete Walker and put him all around the World

I went to several T's by the time I found my current one. He gets it and he's very good at what he does. Before, though, I was having the same issue with the dissociation and head fog. I found myself having the worst dissociative episodes with one of them, to a point where I almost put buck-shot through my roommate. It's very important to find a good one that won't cause that. My current therapist is good, but is focusing on one specific trauma, then he say he'll move onto the next and so on. There are a few big ones he want to tackle and then get the rest afterwards. Something like that; though, we've already tackled a few smaller ones just to built trust between us.

Totally understand the frustration with dissociation, the fog, and the focusing on one trauma, when there are so many to deal with. I'm glad you found the right therapist that work with you and explains the process to you. That's important. Glad to see you back around.

Do you think T's are trained to handle multiple traumas? Seems like a common story that they want to pick out just one and work on that, even though the others are just as invasive. Maybe it's the way they were taught to handle this, or maybe they haven't been taught to handle this. Hard to tell. I mean really you have to start some where, as long as that's not the only trauma they focus on. Maybe we give too much information.

I just found out yesterday that my Psychiatrist left. Haven't seen her since Sept., that's how the VA rolls, but I have an appointment with her on Monday. No one has called to say she will not be there, that someone new will be filling in...is it just me or is that pretty rude and disrespectful to the client? It's so hard for us to trust anyway, just lost my T to go to another program, now my P is gone? Feeling pretty dumped right now.

We are having a winter storm...great.

My T's taking it one trauma at a time. He's focusing on the most confusing and very distinguished from the rest, right now. He said I suffered multiple traumas before I even claimed to have been. He's one in a million, though.

Yeah, that's very disrespectful of them to not at least discuss a new shrink. I'm sorry for all of that. Can't blame you for feeling dumped on.

I'm not sure how I would have reacted if someone different had called me back to their office. Probably had a panic attack.
I guess it's not to question their way of doing things, I'm sure there's some method to their madness You are lucky to have a great T. The VA totally sucks and it's understandable why 22 veterans a day die by suicide. There's just no help at the VA, could be 1-3 mos between sessions. That's no way to do therapy.

This new T is going to do sessions online. She is a psychologist and the VA is going to provide a tablet for me to use to do these sessions. I guess not leaving home will be a good thing, I guess we are going to do the prolonged exposure sessions

She got a little miffed when I told her there was no one for an Emergency Contact, she snapped back at me that she would just use 911 then. I told her she would not need to call anyone to my house and we left it there. The woman talks 90 mph, she so lost me somewhere soon after I went into her office. This is a PTSD hub at the VA, do they even remember who they are treating there? smh

Well got the tablet today to do the tele-therapy. This should be interesting. I know we used this in the hospital so Mental Health professionals could evaluate patients without actually being there and it worked well. The cameras were so sensitive that they could even see if the patients eyes were dilated. My first real appointment with this is February 1st. I guess it will be nice not having to leave the house Anyone else tried anything like this?