[Mactastic]

I would imagine most T's have done at least some therapy during their training. I would think it's a requirement just about anywhere. Does your T discuss their experience with you?

My T has shared little pieces (when appropriate) and I can't tell you how much it's helped. Therapy has been a scary experience for me because I am slow to open up and trust. Hearing his experience has helped me see it's hard for anyone! It also helps to level things for me and help me see my T has a genuine human being. He's pretty blank slate with me (he shows his emotions but rarely his life) and it's nice when I can get a sense of his own vulnerabilities. It helps me to let go.

I know that he did it for 2 years with the same T (his school required one year but wanted to stay for two,) experienced his own transference (though I know not a single detail about that,) found therapy terrifying very often, found it difficult to open up, came late sometimes on purpose , still maintains very limited "hi, I am well" email contact with his T, respects his T tremendously and felt loved by him, and told me his T was the only person he could think of that knew him completely without judging.

What has your T shared?

[Willowleaf]

I know mine once sat and refused to talk to her t for whole session. Told me when I was not wanting to talk but feeling worried about it.

[Amandasmom]

No, she never discusses it. My next session, I want to ask her if she had personal therapy. Do you think that's a good idea? I think it will help me to know she went through it and I can ask her questions (general, not personal) about it.

[brillskep]

He's shared a little throughout the years.
I wouldn't give any details though.

She explained she has had issues with transference with her T after I asked her about it. She also see's an older female T. She's revealed other stuff in regards to her own therapy, but I think it's not my duty to put this out on a forum.

[unaluna]

I appreciate that ts go thru their own therapy, and i agree that can help them see what its like for us in some ways. But in other ways, they have no clue. For them, its like taking an open-book test, they know what to expect; for us, we go in there blindfolded.

[stopdog]

Originally Posted by hankster

I appreciate that ts go thru their own therapy, and i agree that can help them see what its like for us in some ways. But in other ways, they have no clue. For them, its like taking an open-book test, they know what to expect; for us, we go in there blindfolded.

What about the ones who saw a therapist before deciding it was a relatively easy way to make a living? It would not be an open book test to them. Plus, if one believes what they say, it would not matter if they knew what was happening, if the part they label "the process" was really happening they would still fall for it.

I think they all should have to endure therapy before being allowed into therapy school. An alarming number of them in the United States have not done their own therapy.

[junkDNA]

my T has mentioned that he has said something to his T about me once. and he took me to see her once because we thought that we couldnt continue working together and he wanted me to have a back up.

thats all i know.

They have to go through at least 50 hours of therapy as part of their training, here, in order to get a licence and be allowed to practice. I actually asked my T about it in my latest session and he said that in his opinion it would be impossible to do the job unless the therapist has gone through extensive therapy.

But I know nothing about his therapy and it's not something I feel comfortable asking about. That's his private sphere.

[Asiablue]

Mine has shared little bits about her therapy, but more about her feelings and reactions towards things than what she was actually there for. She only mentions it in connection to my therapy or situation. It helps me a lot because then i know she truly "gets" it.

[Crescent Moon]

Mine has mentioned it maybe twice. No real details, but it is my distinct impression that her own therapy experience is what's behind her exquisite sensitivity to things like boundaries and transference.

I don't think my previous therapist had his own therapy, and I think it played a large role in the counter-transference that nearly did me in.

[lrt1978]

Mine has mentioned her therapy no details and only when it was relevant for me, like validating what I was feeling after a session after we had done some chair work, she said she felt like how I was feeling when she done chair work for her stuff and it's to be expected to feel how I was.

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[anilam]

Here it's around 5 yr of individual therapy (250 sessions) along with some group therapy to get a license. So yes, I know he was but he never talks about it. Once I asked him about it and all he said was that it was worth it.

[brillskep]

Originally Posted by hankster

I appreciate that ts go thru their own therapy, and i agree that can help them see what its like for us in some ways. But in other ways, they have no clue. For them, its like taking an open-book test, they know what to expect; for us, we go in there blindfolded.

I see what you mean and you do have a valid point. It doesn't have to be that way, though. I started my therapy when I was studying psychology (working toward my B.A.) and I found a lot of my ideas of what therapy should be were false. In the beginning, I felt the pressure of social stigma (almost) as much as anyone else in therapy.
Later, when I started my own training, i knew more about therapy, but still felt nervous when I worked with a new therapist - even for just a session or two. Not to mention when I worked with someone I didn't know at all before, from a different school. I really didn't know what to expect with her type of therapy (even though I had studied some of the theory) and I felt very vulnerable too.

[Leah123]

My therapist has been very kind and giving when it comes to sharing her experience to help me feel more hopeful and understood about mine. She has mentioned that she's been in therapy, the length of time, gender of therapist, a couple of the primary causes, and uses examples from her therapy rarely as needed, such as when we had a big rupture, she told me she'd had one like that with her therapist in the past and they had worked through it. That helped me feel less like I was acting out and looking stupid and more like she could respect how I was feeling and could help me through it- very powerful.

[HealingTimes]

Yes she has. It proved to be very useful when i was telling her about the transference i had towards here. I was struggling to say how i felt, but she helped me out by telling me how she used to have a fantasy where her and her t would run away together and be madly in love.

[HazelGirl]

Yes, mine has talked a little bit about the many years she spent in therapy. Her history and mine (childhood abuse, and resulting PTSD) happen to be similar, so although she is 20+ years older than me, she knows very well what it's like to be in my position. It helps so much knowing that she really, truly gets what I am saying most of the time and has gone through what I am currently going through. It's also very encouraging to see that someone has a good life on the other side of all this junk. I know it's possible to get from where I am to where she is at, and when the self-doubt comes in, I can remind myself that it really is worth it.

[Big Mama]

My T mentions the past therapy she has been in from time to time. She mentions how things were for her and her husband when they did marriage counseling. She also has made mention that she currently see's a T. She is bombarded with so much stuff, she does trauma T, and so much of the stuff she hears is damaging. She has to go to T to find mental support. Good for her for recognizing this need.

[shelbykay]

A few months into therapy, I asked t if she had ever been in therapy... has she been the one on the couch. She said yes, told me the reasons she went, the issues that developed with her t, and her general experience in therapy. She mostly shares this type of thing when it is relevant to something I'm dealing with.