I’ve read that sometimes a therapist may want to postpone or stop working on trauma until the client has stabilized and has developed the skills to tolerate the process. I can understand this concept.

Does this concept apply to other topics? What about the topic of Attachment stuff? Has anyone else encountered this?

I’m really trying to understand. Even infants with no skills at all are working on attachment. It seems like this is the one topic that should be continuous through therapy?

Thanks,
Turtle

My therapist did not believe in waiting. She just kept plowing through. This technique is surely not for everyone. I fought every step of the way, but for me that is ultimately where the trust came in. I had to trust she knew what she was doing, because I was continuing to make a mess of my life, and it was effecting my kid.

[RTerroni]

That has never been the case with me but I am sure that it could be the case with some people.

[sweepy62]

My t use to stop trauma work when I had current big stressors in the way, we would stabalize those first.

Goingtogetthere, RTerroni, Sweepy - thank you so much for your replies. It sounds like postponing might be valid for trauma but not always applied.

Has anyone experienced this with other topics? I know my therapist talks about "attachment trauma", but it still feels to me like working on attachment specifically is different than working on trauma. Is it valid to stop working on attachment, or other topics, until skills are stronger?

Thanks, Turtle

[HazelGirl]

I don't know about other topics, but I know my T and I take breaks from trauma work to give me some time to relax or allow stressors to pass. Sometimes it's a week or two, sometimes it's a few months.

[UnderRugSwept]

Hi turtle2,

My psychodynamic T had done this re: processing loss...he said trying to force grieving could be very damaging if I am not ready for it.
I had been telling him I don't know how to grieve properly (I really don't), and that I wanted to work on processing the huge losses in my life, but he said they will come up for me when I am ready. For me I have been dealing with major depression partly because of NOT dealing with these losses, so I feel we are going to have to work on them somehow, but we have plenty to work on for now, regardless. So, we'll see...

[HazelGirl]

Originally Posted by Elsewhere

Hi turtle2,

My psychodynamic T had done this re: processing loss...he said trying to force grieving could be very damaging if I am not ready for it.
I had been telling him I don't know how to grieve properly (I really don't), and that I wanted to work on processing the huge losses in my life, but he said they will come up for me when I am ready. For me I have been dealing with major depression partly because of NOT dealing with these losses, so I feel we are going to have to work on them somehow, but we have plenty to work on for now, regardless. So, we'll see...

I felt the same way for a while, but it is true that eventually, all of those old feelings start to come back and wash over you when you are ready. But it happens at the speed that your mind decides, not when you learn the right techniques.