[ilikecats]

So I read a lot about people having multiple therapists, and I'm just wondering what that's like. What's beneficial about it? Is there anything bad about it? How many do you have, and how often do you see each? Do you talk about the same things with them, or different topics depending on the T? Are they similar to each other, or are they very different? Do they know about each other?

If you don't have more than one T, would you ever want to?

I don't think I'm interested in having a second T right now, but maybe sometime in the future I'd like to try it. It just seems like it would be interesting.

[musinglizzy]

I currently have two Ts. T1, I've been seeing for over a year and a half, twice a week sessions. She's psychodynamic I'm only 5 sessions in with T2, a CBT T. So their approaches are different, which I might find helpful. I actually started seeing T2 because T1 hurt me a great deal and set me back quite a bit in therapy, yet I'm very attached to her. So I was hopeful that T2 might be able to help me through that. We will see. I'm not at all attached to T2,

So I'm seeing the second one because her approach is much different. T2 knows about T1 but T1 doesn't know I'm seeing T2. We'll see how it goes...good question!

[Argonautomobile]

I don't have a second T, but have always been curious about people who do--why? what is that like? Etc.

The only reason I could ever see myself having a second T is if I wanted to work on a specific issue that I'd be much more comfortable talking to a female T about (current T is male).

Good question!

[Out There]

I saw a second T for a while , but with different skills , and Yes I did find it helpful. I sometimes think therapy is a bit like pick and mix - it needs bits of several things.

[RedSun]

My T wouldn't work with me if I saw another T. That's quite common if you're seeing a T without a medical referral/diagnosis. I did ask recently but I think I knew what the answer was going to be

[2B/-2B]

The problem with more than one T is always picking the easiest softer way for improvement, which in the long run, makes it harder and longer to improve.
Improvement is on the road least traveled. If we have two or more choices, most likely we will take the road most traveled - the easier softer way.
One T can helps us to improve quicker. But then again... some T's like us to linger on for their own benefit.

A good T is one who aims to get rid of their clients, because they got well.
Oddly enough, a good T's goal is to become unemployed.
Often these Ts get straight to the point.
Sometimes tough love therapy can make us change quicker than us having choices of which T to listen to - in the hope of avoiding tough changes.

I see one therapist, but in the past, when I was attempting to find a therapist following a move, I saw two or three therapists a week for a test drive. I found it a bit confusing and exhausting. I do think that whether or not a person sees more than one therapist is entirely up to them and their own personal needs. I know that if I decided I wanted to see more than one therapist, I'd be ticked if a therapist told me that she wouldn't see me if I saw a second one. Knowing me, I'd immediately quit that therapist for being so presumptuous. BUT I also accept that it is that therapist's decision to decide how she wants to conduct therapy, she just wouldn't have me as a client. That's just me and my need to be in control.

I do, however, have to make a comment, 2B/-2B, on your post about "Sometimes tough love therapy can make us change quicker than us having choices of which T to listen to- in the hope of avoiding tough changes." I totally agree with you that sometimes choices can tie us up in knots and make change more difficult. But I believe that choices are exactly what I personally need to make changes. "Tough Love" is definitely not what I need in therapy--in fact, tough love would be counter productive for me. Therapy is so individual and what works for one person is definitely not workable or helpful to the next person.

No I wouldn't want one. It could become split. Ie, "this T is wrong, that T is right '. I prefer to work through all transference and splitting with one T.

[atisketatasket]

Originally Posted by 2B/-2B

The problem with more than one T is always picking the easiest softer way for improvement, which in the long run, makes it harder and longer to improve.
Improvement is on the road least traveled. If we have two or more choices, most likely we will take the road most traveled - the easier softer way.
One T can helps us to improve quicker. But then again... some T's like us to linger on for their own benefit.

A good T is one who aims to get rid of their clients, because they got well.
Oddly enough, a good T's goal is to become unemployed.
Often these Ts get straight to the point.
Sometimes tough love therapy can make us change quicker than us having choices of which T to listen to - in the hope of avoiding tough changes.

Would you mind backing up some of your rather broad, general statements? A study or something like that? The logical outcome of your statements is that a client with two therapists would soon drop the tough one...NOT that they would keep both around.

To answer the OP, I had two therapists for about 5 months last year. Saw each weekly when they were in town. I did want someone with experience in something specific, but No. 1 was the closest I could find; then she found No. 2, who did have experience.

I found them both helpful in different ways (expensive but worth it), and I only stopped seeing them when I had to relocate temporarily for work. I will probably see both again when I return.

Neither was easy or soft. They were compatible (which was important to me) and almost as tough on me as I am on myself.

[stopdog]

I see two - each one once a week. I did not ask their permission as I do not believe such was theirs to give. They have been told I see other therapists but do not know who - I would never tell them if either asked, but neither has inquired. I do not tell them about what the other has said or mention the other at appointments. They are both advertised as psychodynamic but are very different from each other. I would not call either soft or hard. I would not pay for toughness in the first place - I don't pay a therapist to get bullied. I have no medical referral or diagnosis.

I find an advantage in seeing two and have done so for about 5 years now. They are useful to me in different ways. I have not found it to be confusing. Whether others would find seeing two useful or not is up to them.
The only disadvantage I have found is the expense.

For a while, I had both a CBT T and an EMDR T. That was when I was in residential.
Now I have a CBT/eclectic T and I sporadically see my EMDR T. When I see EMDR T, I see her 12 hours in 1 week. That week I'll be inpatient and won't see my CBT/eclectic T.

Oh, I wrote this in the present tense.. as of today, I've quit CBT/eclectic T.

[Cinnamon_Stick]

I have thought about seeing two T's in the past. I don't want to start over with someone else and my attachment to my T is so intense, I could not handle another one.

[SingDanceRunLife]

When I was in college I sort of had 2 therapists because I had my one at home and my one at school. They were very different, and it was rare that I saw them in the same week unless I was having a booster session with my T at home...and I always found myself comparing them. I wouldn't ever go back to having 2 -- I like my 1 too much.

[Bipolar Warrior]

I see two therapists. One is my private therapist who I've been seeing once a week for three years, and the other is a therapist I was assigned to at my university about a year ago. The uni one is my "academic mentor" and helps me cope with life as a student, which includes helping me with my assignments.

The one at university is an integrative therapist, whereas my private therapist is integrative-relational. They are quite different in their approaches, and I am inclined to think that it is just as much about their training as it is their personalities. My private therapist is very calm, gentle and quite reserved. She likes to let me talk and then asks leading questions and makes occasional helpful suggestions and observations. My uni therapist is much more straight-forward.

My weekly session with my private therapist is an opportunity for me to unload and de-stress, as she is calm and patient. Not that my uni therapist isn't patient, because she is, but there are many stress factors in my relationship with her. However, it is stressful because of how much I am changing as a result of seeing her, so it isn't a negative relationship at all, just a challenging one. She has pushed me to become so much more self-aware than I was when I started seeing her, and she has evoked a lot of feelings in me that I am not used to. I have struggled internally with how much my relationship with her means to me, and I have only just now started to talk about it with her. Before I was ready to do that, I used to take it to my private therapist because I felt so lost, and so much despair was caused by all these feelings I didn't understand. If I hadn't already had my private therapist I probably would have found one to help me cope with all those intense emotions, and to help me manage them. I have realised that I am scared of real emotions, and that I have been able to avoid them until my uni therapist has made it impossible to do so with her persistent nurture, compassion and love. I didn't understand it, didn't think it was real, and having another therapist to talk to about it was very helpful to me.

I don't find it confusing or difficult or anything like that. For me they are two very different relationships. It felt a bit weird in the beginning, and I think my private therapist thought it was quite strange, as well, but it has proved to be largely unproblematic, and very often beneficial. In my experience.

[WrkNPrgress]

I have personal T and then I and my partner have a couple counselor.

Our CC is almost like having a second personal T because her method is very good at honing in on the individual's needs, despite us both being in the room. I've discovered a lot about myself via CC as it applies to our relationship. So The two complement each other.

In my own Therapy, I tend to vent more do my "in-session" work about my job, family, personal fears and insecurities. I also get to vent about my partner and when I really need to work up the nerve to talk about stuff in CC, I work out my feelings in 'practice runs' during my own therapy. My personal T is like my cheerleader/personal trainer, perhaps whereas our CC is like our team coach.

The real answer is that each therapist has their own methods, slightly different relationships and bring out different aspects of my personality.

[SheHulk07]

I see two different Ts, and have been for the past 2 years. T1 is a male, and T2 (both old & new) are women, so I like having a female to talk to about some things. Also T2 is from a marriage & family perspective,so that's what I work with on them. How I'm functioning with the family, I could bring in my kids and husband when or if I choose to. T1 is specifically just for me, and his practice is a community mental health so I see my pdoc and group through there.

With T2 I like the predictability of it. I also have my appts at the same time on Thursday evenings. I could see her every week if I wanted to. T1 I'm lucky to see every 2-3 weeks, but there's more connections through him. I.e pdoc, group therapy, crisis support, he talks and knows my kids' Ts.

I see two therapists. The first one I have seen for about 3 years and I work with him on day to day issues (although I'm currently working through some pretty intense transference / attachment issues right now). The second one I've seen for about 6 months. I see her to work with trauma and we are doing somatic work. I don't feel like there's any "splitting" going on and I definitely don't think seeing two encourages me to take an "easier, softer way" (I actually find that comment a little offensive). The first therapist has been very clear that he is not qualified to do trauma work, but the work I do with him is still intense and beneficial to me.

Neither therapist is on my insurance plan, however I submit the bills for one of them to my insurance and pay full fee out of pocket for the other.

[kecanoe]

I see 3 t's. I see t1 twice a week; I've read several posters about how there is one t they are attached to. For me, that is t1. I have been seeing him for 8 years. I used to see him 5 times a week, but when I was hospitalized they convinced him I needed to not see him so often. Actually, they wanted me to quit with him altogether. So we went (slowly) down to twice a week. He has no experience with my diagnosis.

Since I was so unstable and since t1 does not have trauma experience, I started seeing t2 for EMDR.

Then I added t3 because he had years and years of experience with DID. I saw him twice a week. He retired (which was fairly traumatic for me) and I now see a different t3. She also has lots of experience with DID and she does SE and brain-spotting.

So all three have different approaches. All 3 know of each other, and I will sometimes talk about them in session.

I basically put together my own IOP program; I needed (and probably still need) it to stay stable and out of the hospital. My insurance pays all 3. It's cheaper for them than to have me in the hospital.

I have specific goals with t2 and t3. So far we haven't had any conflict. I've gone from 5 sessions/week to 4 which I think is a good thing. And believe me, no getting attached to t2 or t3. Neither of them does that kind of therapy anyway, but I still keep my littles from getting attached.