new ipad or new therapist? lol

Why do these people not give free consultations? Considering how much they charge, it would be worth it.

I find it really disturbing that this thread is devolving into a criticism of a professional therapist because sbe is attractive and well put together in her pictures. If you expect a T not to judge you based on your outward appearance, how is it okay to denigrate her for hers? Since when is it okay to pick a woman apart for the way she looks-- either because she is "too attractive" or "not attractive enough"? That is blatant sexism and prejudice, in addition to some old fashioned jealousy. It's also inappropriate/unethical to post an actual T's pic on this forum. If the OP wants to be a T, bashing a T's appearance on a public forum is probably not a good first step. Can we please stop degrading women on PC already? Seriously. This kind of talk is a page out of the Donald Trump handbook...

The photo is one available on the internet, it's not one I took or one I stole off her facebook, so I'm not sure why it matters if it's posted on the internet...again?

And yea- they absolutely are judging us based on appearance, same as we are judging them, because until a relationship is established there is little else to go on.

And I don't feel I'm degrading/denigrating her.

But I respect your right to your opinion.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

If you want to be a therapist, you need to be in therapy especially with BPD, so I guess the real question is do you want an iPad more than you want to to a T.

In saying that I don't see it as a straight choice between being a T or SSI, there are other, much less demanding, careers you could go in to where your diagnosis would be much less of an issue.

I've found expensive private therapists to be no better than the less expensive options. A lot of times they work at sliding scale clinics to be able to hekp more people.

...except this is the career path I have chosen, the one I am being educated to perform, not any of those other ones, so...? Not sure why you would even bring that up? It's like if I said I'm trying to decide whether to buy apples or oranges and you tell me about this great deal on bricks down the street... no relation.

I am in therapy already just not with someone who specializes in my primary issues which is why I am looking for T2 to cash pay and hopefully get some real, focused ED work done.

Insurance T can keep me afloat cuz 1x a week is insufficient.

For those of you who can't tell- the ipad part was clearly a joke, as $250 is not the end of my therapy budget. What I was really saying is I dislike wasting money on consults that could be better used elsewhere when all I want to do is meet them briefly and get a feel for them.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Perhaps that's what you should have said then?

I really struggle with how expensive therapy is in the States, even privately I don't pay £150/month for my therapist much less per session. And I understand not wanting to spend so much for initial consultation only to decide you don't "click". Could you talk to them by phone for 10 mins or so, generally I find that how they handle my initial enquiry tells me a lot about how I might be able to work with them? I guess my thinking is that you'll need to pay it sooner or later and you said you've got a timescale before it interferes with your schooling so on that basis is drop the iPad and do both consults, make a decision and get working.

If I was going to choose between those two therapists I'd probably try the older more experienced one first. I've found that I'm pretty vulnerable in therapy, and I think you may be too. I think the maturity and experience probably are more likely to make a T who can give security and stability. I would hope that she would understand your issues despite not being a specialist in them. Also I might think that the route of your issues needs to be explored, more than the presenting issue? Is your current T not doing this?

we are in the tampa bay area and there are many wonderful counselors sorry you had such bad experiences ♥

My T gives the initial 60 minute consultation for free.

I was talking about makeup and hairstyle. Not wanting to see a therapist (male or female) who is very concerned about fashion and their looks seems like a personal choice to me. When I look at a therapist's professional head shot, I assume they are projecting the image they want clients to see.

It may turn out to be a false assumption that a therapist who spends 20 minutes doing her eyeliner will not be warm and empathetic, but people do make judgement based on other people's clothes, makeup, and hairstyle.

It's makes me sick when I think about how much money I have spent on therapy. I mean, I could have taken my dream vacation a couple times now.

I think there's a big difference between saying "I prefer a T who styles themselves very naturally because it makes me feel more comfortable" and saying things like "bleh!" to her picture and going on about how you think she spends 20 minutes on her eyeliner and saying "what is she thinking?" The latter is pretty offensive and goes way beyond personal preference with respect to a T. How would you feel if someone said, about a plain T, "God, what is she thinking! Why didn't she even bother to put on some makeup and flattering clothes! She must not want any clients looking like that!" It's offensive on both ends-- and would only ever be said about women. No one is picking apart male T's pictures like that.

Oh, and in reality, that eyeliner probably took her about 60 seconds...

Lol the only reason I'm not picking apart male t's pictures is because I would never see a male T to begin with so I skip their photos. Otherwise they would be getting the same examination as female T's.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I vote the iPad. Therapy has never really helped me because I can't truly open up to someone I'm paying. I just feel like it'll be filed away to be used against me at some point in time. Add that into my obsession with electronics and there you have it!

Sent from my iPad Mini 3 using Tapatalk.

I checked out pictures of them to make sure I was not wasting time on someone who looked perky or was younger than I am. I ruled out everyone who looked like they had posted a glamour shot.

I see nothing wrong with having personal preferences. You stated yours very matter-of-factly. What bothered me was those who were making rude comments like "bleh!" and "lol-ing" at the T's picture. I find that disrespectful and immature, especially coming from someone who is training to be a T. I can only imagine she would have similar thoughts about future clients.

Being a professor, we get a print out of all of our students' pictures prior to the first day of class for attendance purposes. They are all adults and these are "public" pictures, submitted by the students themselves. I can't imagine pointing and laughing at those.

I actually didn't say that, so please get your accusations correct.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I was referring to you "lol-ing." You did not say "bleh!" You called her frufru, high maintenance, and said "are they partial to pics which make them look like drug addicts?"

Yes, I did, and I was referring to photos of other T's, with the drug addicts comment, not this one as she clearly does not look like a drug addict, but several others I looked at did. I think I'm allowed to state my opinion, regardless of my future occupation.

She DOES appear high maintenance and frufru IN MY OPINION and if she's like that day to day, probably not a good fit for me. I'm meeting her to determine for myself.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

IRL is entitled as anyone else to say whatever she likes about therapist pictures (especially as she's not posting the pictures on here or being in any way specific). Making what are clearly jokes about the pictures does not in any way indicate she would be judgemental as a practitioner in the therapeutic space. Every human being makes judgements about people; the job of the therapist is to simply keep the judgements out of other people's therapy, not to be an unrealistically perfect version of a person every waking hour.

Just to add, I've just seen that something was posted earlier then removed. I don't necessarily agree with that, but the point still stands about T's having the same rights as everyone else in their personal lives.

We just bought my mom IPad, not mini. Regular size. $360. You can also buy other tablets for 250 or less. Samsung is pretty good.

See sliding scale therapist or a free one and buy tablet. When my insurance was not covering it i saw sliding scale one. I was working but at that time making maybe 40k only and had a kid at home. I paid 50 per session. I advocate against paying such unreasonably high amounts for therapy if you don't work and are on SSI. But it's just my opinion

I am not sure I understood comments about looks. I am always put together. I was raised this way. I like to look good. I can't imagine anyone making negative judgement about it. I hope most professionals do try to look put together. Now of course if someone looks like she belongs in a ***** house then it's a bad judgement

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Who needs a high maintenance therapist?

I think The Countess had it right. After the first session, she asked, "Did you get anything out of this session? Do you feel like paying me?" She made it clear that if she had "failed the interview," I didn't have to pay.