....the therapist continues with intense psychodynamic therapy when the client doesn't have the ego strength or the right environmental that support work that involves a high level of intensity.

There are times when a client needs less exploratory and more supportive therapy, and it shouldn't be difficult to recognize. Unless the T is as dumb as a bag of rocks...

I am so angry about my T not understanding this, or believing me when I told him this. I've always considered my T to be a very intelligent person, but I guess book knowledge is much different than applied knowledge/wisdom.

When I started therapy with him, I was severely depressed. Had major losses and life events. My score was very high on this scale:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holmes...e_stress_scale. Yet, he made therapy so hard for me--he couldn't give me any gratification; (validation, comforting words, etc.) because that would prevent me from 'doing the work'. That also brought out intense transferences, so it took me some time to realize what was going on.

The negative effects were so cumulative. I experienced a lot of psychic stress from reexperiencing trauma, and the constant rejection, then the stress and negative emotion caused more negative emotion, then spiral. Then I lost my motivation. Then confidence. Got more depressed--sui. Hopelessness. Spiral. Etc. Everything piled up so much, it had some kind of domino effect, now it's so beyond control it seems like I will never recover. I am so mad at him.

This shouldn't have to be taught in training. It is common sense. Why in the world would a T not consider this when doing therapy? It took me a while to figure it out, but I even told him about this. I told him exactly what I needed. Anytime I told him what I needed, he treated me like I was trying to 'get' something from him rather than the adult me knowing what's best.

People need to know this. If you are in a bad state--watch out for intense psychodynamic therapy as it can cause a lot of harm, and you can end up in a much worse state then when you started.

[MRT6211]

I had the exact same problem with intense psychodynamic therapy with an inexperienced/downright bad therapist. I feel you. And I totally agree that people should be cautious with it.

[maybeblue]

Leave him. Seriously--if you haven't already, fire him. There are good therapists out there.

I can totally relate. The first time I went to therapy I went because I was shy. I didn't want to be shy. I was probably dysthymia too. By the time she got done digging around looking for trauma that wasn't really there, I was suicidal. I also really damaged my relationship with my mom because of that therapist and her telling me how my mom didn't protect me from stuff that my dad didn't actually do. We've recovered the relationship, but it still makes my mom nervous when I talk about going to a therapist.

I needed cognitive therapy and assertiveness training. But psychodynamic was all she knew. If all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail.

[here today]

Lots with your post that I can agree are largely unrecognized issues with therapy, not dealt with effectively by the profession or many individual therapists within it. But how to get the word out to potential clients, without the involvement of the profession and standards for consent forms? I don't know. Plus, when I have been in a bad state, I haven't known what to do for myself, and have not been in such a great state to make important decisions by definition, and so I have "reached out" to our society's licensed "helpers" and the result has been similar to what you describe.

Originally Posted by Rayne_

....the therapist continues with intense psychodynamic therapy when the client doesn't have the ego strength or the right environmental that support work that involves a high level of intensity.

There are times when a client needs less exploratory and more supportive therapy, and it shouldn't be difficult to recognize. Unless the T is as dumb as a bag of rocks...

I am so angry about my T not understanding this, or believing me when I told him this. I've always considered my T to be a very intelligent person, but I guess book knowledge is much different than applied knowledge/wisdom.

When I started therapy with him, I was severely depressed. Had major losses and life events. My score was very high on this scale:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holmes...e_stress_scale. Yet, he made therapy so hard for me--he couldn't give me any gratification; (validation, comforting words, etc.) because that would prevent me from 'doing the work'. That also brought out intense transferences, so it took me some time to realize what was going on.

The negative effects were so cumulative. I experienced a lot of psychic stress from reexperiencing trauma, and the constant rejection, then the stress and negative emotion caused more negative emotion, then spiral. Then I lost my motivation. Then confidence. Got more depressed--sui. Hopelessness. Spiral. Etc. Everything piled up so much, it had some kind of domino effect, now it's so beyond control it seems like I will never recover. I am so mad at him.

This shouldn't have to be taught in training. It is common sense. Why in the world would a T not consider this when doing therapy? It took me a while to figure it out, but I even told him about this. I told him exactly what I needed. Anytime I told him what I needed, he treated me like I was trying to 'get' something from him rather than the adult me knowing what's best.

People need to know this. If you are in a bad state--watch out for intense psychodynamic therapy as it can cause a lot of harm, and you can end up in a much worse state then when you started.

[kecanoe]

Honestly, a standard consent form would not have slowed me down when I started therapy. I would have assumed it didn't apply to me and that it was just legalese.

There was part of me that knew that I shouldn't "go there", that I would be opening up a Pandora's Box. And I still opened the ** thing anyway.

Im no longer in the therapy, but now that i spent all that money, i have nothing left to be able to get further help through therapy.

Anyway, all the therapist needs to do is things like this:

Supportive psychotherapy is the attempt by a therapist bv any practical means whatever to help patients deal with their emotional distress and problems in living. It includes comforting, advising, encouraging, reassuring, and mostly listening, attentively and sympathetically. The therapist provides an emotional outlet, the chance for patients to express themselves and be themselves.

It's just common sense. I'm so taken aback that therapists proceed to make people worse rather than making the adjustments above. My therapist just tore me down until I had no resources left to bounce back. I was a pretty resilient person my whole life...now...this. I'm broken.

Screw this profession. I used to talk highly of it. No more.

[here today]

I am so extremely sorry this has happened to you. It happens far more often, I expect, than the profession knows or acknowledges. It has effects on people's lives more than it seems the profession is willing to investigate or acknowledge. And then, broken and angry, how are we to be effective in speaking out or doing anything about this travesty?

I hope it helps you to know that you are not alone. It has helped me. PM me if you'd like.

[kecanoe]

In my case, when T1 realized he was in way over his head and so was I, he did make the switch to supportive therapy. I just wish he wouldn't have pushed/encouraged me to disassemble my defenses and open all the stuff up. I was also high functioning, resilient, content. I have not regained that, and it has been years and years.

[alpacalicious]

I'm sorry about what happened!
For my previous T (jungian therapist) therapies like CBT were bull.sh.it. But he was the one that traumatized me. I came to him because I had social anxiety issues and was suicidal, depressed etc...I remember in the second session he made me relive a traumatic memory, he was very pushy, and didn't respect my level of comfort. This therapy made me feel even more isolated. He never gave me positive feedback, positive words, or reassuring, when I said "I love you" he dismissed my words as if they weren't important! So I think therapy can fail more because of the therapist not the type of therapy. I think the therapist has to recognize when a client needs an instant support (for exampel the client is in a really bad place and needs a quick support) or when a client is ready to tell their story. A therapist has to read the client's non verbal cues, understand when they are in discomfort, when to push or not! Basically every therapist has to adapt to the client's needs. And if they prefers to do in depth work and can't do cbt for example, and the client needs a quick type of therapy (like cbt) then the therapist has to tell the client "I'm sorry but it seems like you will benefit more from other therapies, not mine" with honesty.

I think this is a tricky one. This kind of therapy isn't for the feint hearted. But therapy does bring up unconscious stuff that makes it feel as if things have gotten worse. In my case I was just more aware of the "worse"

I will say, a T does need to fully study a person to confirm that. They can withstand the emotions that will come up. There should be a stabilising period. Mine was for the 1st yr.
After that we upped to 2x will and really got into it.
I've been to hell and back emotionally in the early days. But I had been in that state most of my life. Becoming aware gave me choices on how to handle the hell.

If you've stopped it will pass. Thsts the nature of the unconscious. Or further down the road you may have a little voice wanting to know more.

Originally Posted by kecanoe

Honestly, a standard consent form would not have slowed me down when I started therapy. I would have assumed it didn't apply to me and that it was just legalese.

There was part of me that knew that I shouldn't "go there", that I would be opening up a Pandora's Box. And I still opened the ** thing anyway.

I think I would have just brushed off a consent form, too.

Originally Posted by here today

I am so extremely sorry this has happened to you. It happens far more often, I expect, than the profession knows or acknowledges. It has effects on people's lives more than it seems the profession is willing to investigate or acknowledge. And then, broken and angry, how are we to be effective in speaking out or doing anything about this travesty?

I hope it helps you to know that you are not alone. It has helped me. PM me if you'd like.

Thanks here today All in all-i think if people accept the status quo, then the status quo remains.

Originally Posted by kecanoe

In my case, when T1 realized he was in way over his head and so was I, he did make the switch to supportive therapy. I just wish he wouldn't have pushed/encouraged me to disassemble my defenses and open all the stuff up. I was also high functioning, resilient, content. I have not regained that, and it has been years and years.

I'm glad your T switched at some point, but it is too bad it was too much too soon. This is, in a nutshell, what happened with me too. I am very dissociative, and all the defense dropped suddenly.

It's dangerous to lose them suddenly. Instead, they should be slowly transformed into healthier ones. The related issue I raised is that when you are already handling more than you can really handle to begin with, it is not a time to challenge someone's defenses and open Pandora'x Box.

Originally Posted by alpacalicious

I'm sorry about what happened!
For my previous T (jungian therapist) therapies like CBT were bull.sh.it. But he was the one that traumatized me. I came to him because I had social anxiety issues and was suicidal, depressed etc...I remember in the second session he made me relive a traumatic memory, he was very pushy, and didn't respect my level of comfort. This therapy made me feel even more isolated. He never gave me positive feedback, positive words, or reassuring, when I said "I love you" he dismissed my words as if they weren't important! So I think therapy can fail more because of the therapist not the type of therapy. I think the therapist has to recognize when a client needs an instant support (for exampel the client is in a really bad place and needs a quick support) or when a client is ready to tell their story. A therapist has to read the client's non verbal cues, understand when they are in discomfort, when to push or not! Basically every therapist has to adapt to the client's needs. And if they prefers to do in depth work and can't do cbt for example, and the client needs a quick type of therapy (like cbt) then the therapist has to tell the client "I'm sorry but it seems like you will benefit more from other therapies, not mine" with honesty.

I read your story and am so sorry about what happened to you. He sounded really damaging, I hope your new T works out.

Originally Posted by Mouse_62

I think this is a tricky one. This kind of therapy isn't for the feint hearted. But therapy does bring up unconscious stuff that makes it feel as if things have gotten worse. In my case I was just more aware of the "worse"

I will say, a T does need to fully study a person to confirm that. They can withstand the emotions that will come up. There should be a stabilising period. Mine was for the 1st yr.
After that we upped to 2x will and really got into it.
I've been to hell and back emotionally in the early days. But I had been in that state most of my life. Becoming aware gave me choices on how to handle the hell.

If you've stopped it will pass. Thsts the nature of the unconscious. Or further down the road you may have a little voice wanting to know more.

It's not that tricky. It's more like, if your house just burnt down, and you go to therapy the next day, it's not the time for the T to insist you are acting like a victim, manipulating for undue comfort, or tear down a defense against an unrelated emotional past.

Mouse, i wish it would pass, but I don't see it. I lost a lot of things during the therapy, such as my defenses, and it seems my ability to bounce back.

[luvyrself]

Originally Posted by Rayne_

Im no longer in the therapy, but now that i spent all that money, i have nothing left to be able to get further help through therapy.

Anyway, all the therapist needs to do is things like this:


It's just common sense. I'm so taken aback that therapists proceed to make people worse rather than making the adjustments above. My therapist just tore me down until I had no resources left to bounce back. I was a pretty resilient person my whole life...now...this. I'm broken.

Screw this profession. I used to talk highly of it. No more.

—-we have to switch until we get someone who is helping us, same w doctors, Auto mechanics, and people we date. We have to plan this out when we feel best and ask someone u trust to go w u if u don’t feel well. Enough! And how can anyone help w meds in 15 mins- impossible.

Originally Posted by luvyrself

—-we have to switch until we get someone who is helping us, same w doctors, Auto mechanics, and people we date. We have to plan this out when we feel best and ask someone u trust to go w u if u don’t feel well. Enough! And how can anyone help w meds in 15 mins- impossible.

Really? If someone posts about having a stroke after going to a chiropractor, and how their life will never be the same again, you would say "we just have to switch chiropractors..."?

I don't understand why anyone would say something like this in response to what I said.