I have been going to a counselor on and off since late April of this year. Although I like her as a person, I don't feel as though she is helping me get to the roots of my issues. She hasn't offered any sort of 'therapy diagnosis' or anything. It is more like I am venting to a friend for an hour and then going home. Plus, I didn't know this in the beginning but she is a christian counselor. I am a believer but the constant praying is not helping resolve my issues and why I feel the way I do.
Should I be trying something different? I have been thinking about finding a psychiatrist instead but I've heard psychiatrists really just prescribe medications.
Can someone give me some insight? Who do most people on this board see to help with their issues?

[Perna]

Hi, bootiebear. I use to see just a regular, secular psychologist, PsyD. If you don't think your therapist is helping or don't necessarily like her methods then yes, I'd find a therapist with a different orientation you think might help you better:

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/psychotherapy/MH00009

[MissCharlotte]

I see a T who is a trained psychoanalyst. He practices psychodynamic psychotherapy with a humanist approach. He's a very spiritual person but he doesn't advocate any one religion and never discusses it. I love him.

Maybe you need a T who does not have a personal interest in the religion of the client.

My psychiatrist is mainly for my anti-depressant medication.

I see a therapist who does not usually talk about religion unless I bring it up. Why you were not informed of the Christian foundation of this counselor - I am not sure. I would firstly discuss your concerns with the current counselor telling her/him that prayer is most definitely important but that you need another approach to help you therapeutically. If they fail to make any real change in approach then I would definitely search for another therapist in the area. Doing a phone interview before going in and seeing them could be helpful to see where they stand and what they offer.

[ECHOES]

I see someone who has been a therapist for 20+ years and is a candidate at a psychoanalytic insititute. I chose her because I wanted an analytic approach and inquired at a psychoanalytic institute in a large city near me to see if they had a candidate who was practicing in my community.

It sounds like you're saying that your counsellor isn't a good fit for you.

Here's a site that has a not of information about therapists and therapies, if your'e interested: http://www.guidetopsychology.com

[sunrise]

Hi bootiebear1, it sounds like you have given this therapist a long trial and her approach just isn't for you. I do think she should have revealed that prayer is a part of her therapy right from the start.

My own therapist is a family systems therapist with an eclectic approach, but is of the humanistic psychology tradition. He has a strong emphasis on healing and is quite spiritual, but is not dogmatic or favoring a particular religion.

For what its worth, my therapist has never offered me a "therapy diagnosis" either. He approaches his clients from a position of health rather than pathology, and helps them heal.

There are a number of articles on Psychcentral on the different types of psychotherapy, choosing a therapist, etc. Go here: http://psychcentral.com/psychotherapy

Good luck!

[Mouse_]

Help is gradual, though it may not seem like its helping, sometimes its that we need to be made stable before the "real" healing takes place. I know the first yr of T I felt I was just whinging and moaning and getting no where. Its a long ole process. The preying part of, well I'm not into religeion of any sort so that wouldnt do for me, but the rest, your therapy sounds normal to me.

Thanks for everyone's input. I decided to call my therapist and make an appointment to give her one last chance and address her in therapy about my concerns.

For a few months, I was unemployed and I was really feeling down on myself for not having a job and I constantly talked about it in therapy. My T even acted like she was going to ask around to see if she could find anything that I could pursue. In later sessions, I asked her if she had heard of anything and she said it slipped her mind.

Today when I called her, she asked me how my new job was and I told her that I loved it. She was asking specific details (salary,commissions,work day,travel) so I was telling her thinking this might be relevant for therapy in some way. She then said that her son lost his job and she wanted to know if there were any openings at my company! She also wants me to bring a list of similar companies to my session so he can check those for jobs! I am not sure how to feel about this. In one way, I am kind of upset because she never followed through asking about jobs for me when she said she would. On the other hand, I have always been labeled a 'pleaser' and put my best effort in doing things for others (maybe my T recognizes this from my sessions and that's why she asked!!)

[Perna]

It sounds like your therapist is too involved in your personal life and possibly stepping over boundaries asking you to bring in info so she can help her son. I wouldn't like that at all. Your salary and company name, even, shouldn't be of interest to your therapist especially if you didn't bring it up yourself. I would laugh if my therapist had said she'd "ask around" for job openings for me as, generally, they have "therapy" appointments most days and are in a wholly different "field" than I am (and their coworkers probably would be too). It's not like I'd want them to ask other clients if they knew of jobs for me!

I would check out other, "secular" therapists and see if you can't find one you find more helpful.

[RACEKA]

My therapist is a Christian therapist. We do not discuss religion. We discuss God. God is not religion. The discussion is my call. He may refer me to a scripture, but that's about it. At the close of the session he asks me if he can pray for me and I say yes.

The session should be all about you and you only.