[Carmina]

I'm starting with a new therapist tomorrow, a psychoanalyst I believe. I already have an art therapist. The art therapist I arranged privately while waiting for the NHS to provide me with psychotherapy as it was taking too long. But now this has come through I'm reluctant to drop it as it's not easy even getting psychotherapy on the NHS and an opportunity to work with a psychoanalyst is even rarer.

Is it a good idea to see 2 therapists at the same time? My last counsellor wouldn't agree to see me at all if I was seeing another therapist but I think this is different as art therapy is very embodiment focussed and based on activity whereas the psychotherapy will be all talk and much more psychodynamic. I think they could complement each other - one enabling me to contact embodied and non declarative memories and the other enabling me to start processing and regulating my thoughts and feelings on a more declarative level.

Problem is though; if I tell them I am seeing another therapist I'm worried one of them will say I should only see one at a time so I'm not sure what to say, if anything.

Totally different therapies. I would say go for both. Tell your T though because you might want to explore what happens with the art. It would be nice to share that with him and help build the bond

I juggled two within an ~2.5 year period of time. One was a psychoanalyst, the other eclectic. First I saw one for several months, then a small break, then the other one for several months, and in the end I had irregular sessions with both here and there, while simultaneous email contact with both, all sorts of things. I was 100% open with both about all this. One told me in the beginning that seeing two Ts at the same time is typically considered a 'no' by Ts, but he was open to whatever worked for me. They both criticized the other, and my involvement with them, at times. I did not mind.

Basically, they say whatever they want, and perhaps it is interesting to listen to their considerations, but it is the client who employs them and should be in charge of what we want to do with our therapy.

Maybe just ask them individually what they think about your seeing another T as well, before declaring it? But, again, this should not be their decision, they are independent service providers.

[stopdog]

I saw two who both said they did psychodynamic for over 5 years. It worked better for me than just seeing the one. I did not talk to them about each other, I did not ask them permission to do it, I paid them cash each week and what I do with my life is not for them to decide - I can hire whomever I wish for whatever purpose I wish to do so.

[kecanoe]

I have been seeing at least 2 therapists since 2011. It's not impossible, but it did take some convincing. They focus on different things and use different styles, which sounds like may be the case for yours. They know about each other. But I don't think that you have to tell them; it's not their life nor their money.

[Carmina]

Originally Posted by Xynesthesia

One told me in the beginning that seeing two Ts at the same time is typically considered a 'no' by Ts

Yeah this is it, it often is, and as I said my last counsellor even said it was considered 'unethical' although I think that is a dogmatic interpretation (unsurprisingly). One could argue there may be contraindications to consider (like medication) but in this case I do think they could be complimentary and they certainly would be working differently.

[stopdog]

The two I saw were told -but the first one always expressed surprise when I reminded her. Neither tried to forbid it. Forbidding it would not have worked but at least neither thought they could impose restrictions on who I hired for what purpose.