How does your therapist react when you bring up psych related stuff you've read?

Ugh. What a tool (especially if he already knows how you feel as you mention in the other thread you started today).

I guess you've already figured out whether or not to consult another T -- so, I'll spare you that.

Please take care...

If it's an article or something, then my therapist would usually ask me about it. I would tell her and then she would usually make a comment or something. Then she would ask me where I read it or ask me to give her the link so that she can read it too. And then the next week, we would probably debate it or at least share our perspectives.

When I shared with my t about PC, she did not exactly respond positively. She was very ... cautious. But then again, she was old and the idea of corresponding online in any medium was uncomfortable to her to some degree.

Mostly responds positive.

T seems interested in anything I bring up in therapy.
Sometimes she mentions in an indirect way- and questions if my reading psych central is good for me.

There were some other instances...but she is mostly positive about psych related reading I bring up to her.

I put "other"...I think it is generally positive and never less than neutral. I'm a medical practitioner with a distinct interest in cognitive behavioral therapy techniques in primary care medicine, so I often discuss things I've read.

My favorite story related to this was when I asked my ex pdoc (she of the pastel leather and husband with the "Precious Moments" hoarding issue) about all the recent studies questioning the efficacy of SSRIs (I was on zoloft at the time). Her actual answer was that she only reads French medical journals and hadn't heard this. This was actually big news back then and was not only in medical journals but mainstream newspapers. Freaked me out.

I didn't often feel a need to do so, but on the rare occasions, he was very open to it and happy to read what I passed along to him. But we were both academics in a university setting, so it seemed pretty natural. There is some validity, I think, to the possibility that bringing reading into a session can triangulate the relationship, or be used to avoid an experience of an issue or feeling or the relationship. But I would be concerned if I sensed any defensiveness in the T about it.

Thanks, FKM. It did give me pause as well -- this was in the early weeks of my therapy with her. It seemed then like everything I said or asked related to therapy (or where it was going) was being interpreted (with irritation / sarcasm) by her as a question about her competence or the value of therapy -- so, it felt like a constant series of missed connections (and my attempts to explain went nowhere).

After seeing that happen for a few sessions in a row, I quit mentioning stuff I'd read or asking questions about the process of therapy -- things significantly improved between us then and the whole process got a lot smoother.

Therapy also seemed to start working around then (not saying that there's a causal connection though!) -- I started seeing improvements to my mood and general well-being etc.

So yeah, while the whole thing has left me with some niggling doubts, the overall positive impact of therapy (along with possibly my reluctance to start anew with someone else!) has outweighed it.

And, for what it's worth, she and I are both academics as well -- in the first session, I'd disclosed that the fact that she has a Ph.D (along with research experience) is one of the reasons I chose her (I was / am in a doctoral program and was looking for someone who also readily got some of the peculiar struggles I was having as a part of it). So, my tendency to read up stuff (which she once commented, spoke to my identity as a researcher) shouldn't really have come as a surprise to her.

I guess more than anything else, her reactions just left me puzzled.

my therapist loves to talk research.He reacts positively, enforcing that for example when I am reading about medications that I use information from double blind studies, etc..ie making sure I am reading well researched information. He is quick to interpret things that are not well researched, but is interested in therapies or theories that may not be in the "popular among doctor" categories. For example he is big on the theory that many people have undiagnosed Lyme disease as part or all of their issues and send many for tests if he sees other symptoms. He is an interesting fellow.

I've moved around a few times, so I've actually had 3, who have all been great, that I saw regularly in different towns. All have usually offered comment on it, and asked questions like "What resonated with you about this article/book?" I felt that they appreciated my effort to help myself and take responsibility, not just depend on them to "fix" me or grant wishes. Sometimes they affirmed it, or had even read it themselves, or sometimes point out the ways it might not be helpful if that's how they felt. I think that's a sign of a good therapist, one that isn't trying to have full control but instead treats your therapy as a partnership towards health.

Mine usually gives me a honest opinion of what he thinks. Usually encouraging me to research various subjects.

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he loves research,.. he is a research geek. so he loves it

Mine is generally pleased that I'm taking an active role in the recovery process.