[whatdoesn'tkillyou]

I have a quick question. I had been seeing my therapist for 2 and a half years. Last week she dropped a bombshell on me ans told me she couldn't be my therapist anymore because she didn't feel like she could help me with my OCD. She said it would be unethical to continue with me since she has no knowledge on how to treat OCD. Yesterday was our last appointment. She gave me her email a while back snd said I could email her whenever I want. She told me not to email her anymore. I also asked if she was going to not see her other OCD patients anymore and she said she would still see them.

I'm a little confused. How come it is unethical for her to see me with OCD when she can't help me but will see other OCD patients? I also feel sad that she doesn't want me to email her anymore. She is cutting ties like I never even existed or these two years didn't happen. I wanted to email her these questions but I want to respect her boundaries. What should I do?

[Leah123]

I'm sorry that happened, sounds like she recognized you two weren't making progress and she's firmly taken steps to stop wasting your time. I would suggest you find a new therapist specializing in OCD and work through all your feelings about this termination with the new therapist.

As for your T seeing others with OCD, I can only imagine that it was just a case where every individual presents differently and no one therapist can treat everyone with OCD, there will be some folks who need a different style than what your former T could offer.

I know it must be painful and am sorry it did not work out.

[pegasus]

It seems wrong to me to be terminating you after two and a half years! Surely she should have recognised this sooner. If she has asked you not to email her, I doubt that you will get a reply. I hope she has recommended a T that can help you. Welcome to Psych Central.

No two presentations of any diagnosis are exactly alike. Your case may present problems that she truly doesn't feel qualified to work with while her other clients present in a different way and are perhaps making different progress.

Look for a specialist in OCD who can work with your unique set of issues. It is hard to have to find and start with a new therapist, but a therapist who is willing to admit they aren't equipped to help you rather than continuing to see you knowing they are in over their head is really a plus. She is probably doing what is best for you in the long run. Sorry it is a painful process. Hope it will all work out for the best.

[Raging Quiet]

Have you got any support backup? Did your t refer you anywhere else?

[RTerroni]

Stuff like that does happen, my last Therapist (soon to be 2 Therapists ago) ended things abrubptly after only a few months.

[Blitter2014]

You don't mention where you are from but here in Oz if you're having difficulties with your therapist or want to change you can go back to the referring doc and ask change without loosing funding.

Its a pain habing to re establish and ho through everything agsin with someone else, one reason I have it all on computer....can hand over word document ptintout, they take home, read 20 pages, then come bavk and nect time either say ok....lets talk about....or suggest someone else who they tjink better equip to help.

Don't take personally. ..after so long they maybe doing you huge favor...bit like when doctor does full review of all meds when been on while and still not getting desires results.

Sent from my GT-I9305 using Tapatalk

[msxyz]

I would feel very upset and take it very personally considering she can very well see others with OCD . I am also not a fan of abrupt terminations.

I would wonder if she really tried saving the relationship by means of consultation or educating herself more on the matter. These are valid questions to ask and I would probably send a letter expressing these thoughts.

The way this was handled wasn't in your best interest, I don't think so. Did she express any sympathy or regret? It doesn't like it to me.

[whatdoesn'tkillyou]

Hi everyone. Thank you for the quick responses! Last week she seemed more sympathetic. Should have just ended therapy last week and not have gone yesterday. I am from California. Last week I cried and I was sad that our therapy was ending. It came out of the blue. If she had just said; "Hey, we have been doing this for 2 and a half years and I don't know about you, but no progress was being made" Instead it was all I can't see you anymore, I don't specialize in this, here are some doctors I looked up for you (none are on my insurance.). It basically felt like, hey thanks for the great two years now get the F out. I mean a couple months ago she gave me her email and told me I could email whenever I wanted. Maybe I abused that by sending her too many emails as if I was emailing a friend (youtube videos and what not). But I didn't expect her to say no more emails. I expected her to say only once in a while about your progress. It felt like a total slap in the face. I really wish I could tell this to her face. It just makes me angry that she cut off all communication except to call her when I have a new therapist so she could refer people to that therapist. What am I your messenger? I expected her to be different. Like she brought me cupcakes on my birthday (which was nice) and she was kinda like a big sister/friend ( no we did not have any relationship outside therapy).

As for a new therapist, I don't know. I know I want to take time off from therapy. Maybe 3 months 6 months or a year, I'm not sure yet. I am just tired having to talk to someone about my problems. I want to stop looking at me and see how I can help other people. Sorry for the long rant but since my therapist cut me off, you guys are all I have

[whatdoesn'tkillyou]

Forgot to add. Then she tells me that sometimes some patients only see her for a couple sessions. WELL HOT DAMN! maybe they don't have a mental illness that they have had all through their life and need long term care. Then yesterday when I went in, I started to make jokes (I'm sarcastic by nature) and says that it seems like I was being rude. But I wasn't. I was just trying to make our last session a positive one. Then I apologized if I sounded rude, but then she says I wasn't, it was weird. I even made this humorous list about 10 things I learned in therapy. Some jokes were toward her (she laughed about in the past) but she didn't seem to like them. It was like I was seeing a different therapist yesterday. Not the T I had been seeing for two and a half years. It is taking everything I have not to email or call her and express my anger at her. But the sad part is, I would go and see her again the future. so confused