[GenCat]

My T told me I am experiencing dissociative episodes frequently and that I have tons of anger and grief suppressed that she's afraid to see me unbottled. Also she thinks I was sexually assaulted when I was younger and I just cant remember it. I also tried to cry but nothing came out. I don't understand how I could have a breakdown just the night before and not be emotional in front of my T this morning!!!

[CantExplain]

((GenCat))

Do you trust your T? You need to feel safe there.

[GenCat]

Originally Posted by CantExplain

((GenCat))

Do you trust your T? You need to feel safe there.

I don't feel safe anywhere. Wish I could with her but I don't right now...too soon.

[ultramar]

Also she thinks I was sexually assaulted when I was younger and I just cant remember it.

This is a big red flag for me, but that's me. I just think it's wrong and terribly irresponsible for therapists to make such assumptions and then put it in their patients' heads. I have a history which I briefly shared in couple's therapy once. One session when my ex didn't show up, she claimed she 'knew' that something else happened as well which I didn't remember and wanted to do EMDR on 'it.' On what?? No way, no how. I told my ex to never leave me with alone with that woman again. She was a decent marriage counselor, but I never fully trusted her again after that.

In any case, maybe you can ask her to help you find ways to express your emotions in session -it's so much better to get it out there where you can deal with it with the therapist, rather than alone. Maybe this along with more time and experience with her to trust, will eventually lead to being able to be vulnerable with her in this way.

Originally Posted by ultramar

Also she thinks I was sexually assaulted when I was younger and I just cant remember it.

This is a big red flag for me, but that's me. I just think it's wrong and terribly irresponsible for therapists to make such assumptions and then put it in their patients' heads. I have a history which I briefly shared in couple's therapy once. One session when my ex didn't show up, she claimed she 'knew' that something else happened as well which I didn't remember and wanted to do EMDR on 'it.' On what?? No way, no how. I told my ex to never leave me with alone with that woman again. She was a decent marriage counselor, but I never fully trusted her again after that.

.

It is very wrong and potentially dangerous to "implant" thoughts of abuse into a client just because they may have x, y, or z symptoms. I agree that this is a huge red flag. Therapists may believe there is trauma, but will wait for the client to reveal.

EVERYBODY dissociates to some extent. It does not always indicate trauma. Spacing out, highway trances, losing yourself in a good book are forms of dissociation. Not remembering what happened at a sad event like a funeral could be dissociation.

The power of suggestion from a therapist can be very strong.
Trauma therapy is so painful and difficult that it has destroyed families and lives of people that were told by their therapists that they experienced trauma.. when they never did.

I would run from that therapist. Forcing a client to remember trauma and even mentioning it is bad therapy.