[Fuzzybear]

Also do you think that therapy is “only for people who are well” - and wtf does that mean

[DP_2017]

Therapy is for anyone. Literally anyone. I saw a quote once that everyone should see a therapist at some point in their lives. Therapy is not just for helping with big trauma.... you can see a therapist if you need to vent or just help with a big life choice.

My T told me once, he had a young woman come in, talked about a problem she was having and they basically discussed options, she never came back because she felt that was a helpful session and she was able to get a new perspective on the issue.

The other question, probably forever, because I can't deal with him not in my life. So even if I have to pay to keep him around, I will

I guess by now I really must just surrender and say I really don't know. I've ended 3 times or more in almost 7 years and I keep going back. Like recently. I ended I thought in June but a month later went back and just committed to 3 more months but we'll see what happens.

[katydid777]

Originally Posted by Fuzzybear

Also do you think that therapy is “only for people who are well” - and wtf does that mean

I thought it was for the people that are ill, or having problems, but I have just found out that it depends on insurance. I am on Medicare, and I guess they think I am stable bc as far as having a T, I was put on what they call matenance, and only see a T 3 or 4 times a year, and only for about 15 min. ??????????????????

[DP_2017]

Originally Posted by katydid777

I thought it was for the people that are ill, or having problems, but I have just found out that it depends on insurance. I am on Medicare, and I guess they think I am stable bc as far as having a T, I was put on what they call matenance, and only see a T 3 or 4 times a year, and only for about 15 min. ??????????????????

I don't use insurance. I pay the company directly because my insurance wont cover it. Does this place you go have a sliding fee or any sort of way to make an arrangement like mine did for you?

[junkDNA]

I don't know
we've never discussed it.

[ChickenNoodleSoup]

My T says as long as I think it's helpful to me I can be in therapy. Also my country's health care system is not as bad as the one in the US, so I don't have to worry about them not paying anymore any time soon or not being able to choose who I see.

We have talked multiple times about how some people who have similar issues to mine recover after a few years and then are fine. But some people don't and then they can get therapy for longer. So I don't know, probably I should expect to be in therapy for around 3 more years or so.

Also, I don't think therapy is 'just for people who are well' . I don't think everyone should receive therapy, but I do think that it can be beneficial for a lot of people. That includes some that feel okay and some that do not.

[healinginprogress]

Therapy is for whoever will benefit from it.

I don't know how much longer I'll be in therapy, but it will be a while.

[Taylor27]

I will be in therapy for as long as it is a benifit to me. We tried to end therapy earlier in the year but i clearly was not ready and it showed i have much more work to do. Since then i only go to see my pyschologist once a month from every 2 weeks. I have increased how much i attend day program. I no longer see the addiction counsellor that was every week. I am getting allot out of only seeing my t once a month, im always told i can phone inbetween when things get tough. Also i don;t pay for my therapy or day it is covered by the provincal health care system in Canada.

I think therapy is for anyone doesn't matter if your ill or healthy i think everyone benifits from talking to someone.

[katydid777]

Originally Posted by DP_2017

I don't use insurance. I pay the company directly because my insurance wont cover it. Does this place you go have a sliding fee or any sort of way to make an arrangement like mine did for you?

I think it does, but it is only for the people that don't have any ins, and since I have Medicare they have to go by there rules, and it doesn't make any sense. You would think that our government would want people on disability Medicare to be able to learn the skills to be able to handle things in there lives so it doesn't cost more later on bc the person wasn't able to handle what was going on in there life at that time???????

[ScarletPimpernel]

I'll stop seeing my T as a therapist when she moves, retires, or dies, whichever comes first. And even if she moves or retires, I can remain in contact with her.

[stopdog]

The two I saw both retired. I am now spending my money on a different hobby

[WishfulThinker66]

I took a CBT course with a psychiatrist a way back and it was a set 12wk program I was aware of up front. I really wish we had actually talked a great deal rather than it be 'educational' in nature.

Today,, I am now taking such talk therapy. It is not going where I would like it to but we at least banter back and forth. We have not discussed a specific closure date but we do have a goal set to accomplish upon which she has done her job and things will come to an end. The goal? To return me to the workforce.

I am this moment waiting to hear back about a position I somehow had the strength to apply for. I've had several (good) interviews and am expecting a call to follow up on their decision.

I don't want to terminate the therapy. We are only several months into it and there is so much more to talk about (llike we haven't even touched on the sources of my PTSD). I must accept though that this is exactly what will happen. The goal isn't my own. She has been hired by veterans' affairs Canada to get me back to work. Once that happens then it is goodbye.

[nottrustin]

Good question that have no clue how to answer. T and I never discussed it outside of until either she feels I am no longer making progress or she retired.

Initially, I think we all thought I would only see EMDR T for a few months. However we realized because of trust issues and me needing to work on emotion tolerance, it would take longer. Now all EMDR is on the back burner while we deal with the grief and all that brings up..

[SlumberKitty]

My former T and I were in therapy for 10 years and I dearly wish I was still in therapy with her, but she got sick and she isn't well enough to come into the office anymore. The new T I am seeing made it very clear up front that it will be much more short term (though she didn't give an actual estimate so I don't know what short term means to her, weeks, months, a year?) but I also have an appointment coming up with another T to interview her to see if we are a better fit because I certainly am not ready to be done with therapy. I think therapy is for anyone whether they are well or not well. It depends if they want to see changes in their lives, or if they have something in their past that they want to overcome. Some people just need help making a few decisions and even though the therapist might not give advice, they can help clarify things. And then there are people who are not as well that like me take medication just to get to a functioning level and therapy is really useful for me to do more than just survive.

[CharlieStarDust]

I plan to be in therapy long as I can afford it.

My T once told me that I’m welcome to be well and still come for therapy. That there’s plenty to talk about and improve, in terms of relationships, navigating my place in the world, etc.

[skysblue]

Originally Posted by DP_2017

Therapy is for anyone. Literally anyone. I saw a quote once that everyone should see a therapist at some point in their lives. Therapy is not just for helping with big trauma.... you can see a therapist if you need to vent or just help with a big life choice.

I agree. I believe everyone could be helped by seeing a T...because we all have life struggles.

When I began, 6 1/2 years ago, I thought I'd see a T for maybe a month or so. But now, even though the really tough stuff has been resolved, I like to be able to talk to her about ongoing life challenges.

As long as Medicare continues to pay, I might be talking to T weekly for many more years. idk

Originally Posted by skysblue

I agree. I believe everyone could be helped by seeing a T...because we all have life struggles.

When I began, 6 1/2 years ago, I thought I'd see a T for maybe a month or so. But now, even though the really tough stuff has been resolved, I like to be able to talk to her about ongoing life challenges.

As long as Medicare continues to pay, I might be talking to T weekly for many more years. idk

I was the same way when I started. Figured eh, a few months tops. Almost 7 years later and I'm still going...

[zoiecat]

I am not judging anyone who differs from my opinion but personally I do not want to be in therapy any longer than I have to. Therapy for me involves serious issues that impact daily life. While I hate to admit this because I seriously don't want to go thus long, I will probably be in therapy for close to 5 more years.

I have DID, MDD with lots of suicidal tendencies, and C-PTSD. I am trying to get rid of the results of 20 years of sexual, physical, and emotional abuse. I allowed myself to live with this for over 50 years because I thought it was just the way things were and it is pretty much super glued into my brain. My poor T has a lot of work to do trying to untangle the mess I call my twisted brain.

Luckily, my T will not continue working with someone who is not making progress. He considers it unethical and will refer me out if we reach that point. I agree. I don't want to become reliant and see him just for the sake of having someone to talk to. IMO that is what friends are for and T are not paid friends.

I guess at this point I just want to see if it is possible to reach a point where I am half way normal and can find a lasting, loving relationship before I die. This is my goal right now in addition to beating cancer. If the latter goes badly then my goals will change and T will end a lot sooner.

[malika138]

Who is therapy for? I suppose there are as many reasons to go to therapy as there are people in therapy. For me, therapy attempts to keep me stable enough to have a professional job and a family. I've been in weekly therapy since a few years after college until now (24 years) and I don't see any end in sight. I've changed therapists over time due to one retiring, one moving away, one abandoning me and one sticking with me now. I also feel self-conscious about it. Perhaps only one friend knows I'm in t.

I also get really defensive at the idea that people who are in long term therapy are "paying for a friend" or not trying hard enough. A while back there was a thread with a similar question, and I took comfort in knowing there were others like me who are in long term therapy.

[seoultous]

10 years with the same therapist. Never thought it would last that long but then life happened and I find I need perspective. In the past 10 years I have lost my mom and both in-laws, discovered that I am bipolar, and became an empty nester. That's on top of some really intense self-loathing. No end in sight for me. I am comforted knowing that others are tied to a therapist who helps them be the best version of one's self.

[annielovesbacon]

I see my T at my university clinic so once I graduate I can't see her anymore... so I have three semesters left with her who knows where I will be by then? if I decide to continue therapy I will have to find someone else. And of course when I graduate who knows if I will stay put or if I will move somewhere else for a job. Becoming an adult is scary. But having a lifelong illness of bipolar disorder I doubt that I will never not need therapy. Maybe there will be a time where I only need to check in every once in a while, not every other week, but right now I envision myself needing regular sessions.

[starfishing]

I plan on being in this therapy for as long as it's productive and helpful, assuming I'm able to make it work logistically. I anticipate that being at least another 2-3 years, possibly longer.

The bottom line is that I think the kind of lasting, meaningful change I'm hoping to accomplish in therapy takes a significant amount of time, so I'm committed to trying to work at it for as long as is needed.

[downandlonely]

I do group therapy, because I like it better than individual. I probably won't always be with the same group, but I'll be doing it my whole life.

[koru_kiwi]

Originally Posted by stopdog

I am now spending my money on a different hobby

me too..

ended 7 years of therapy last year and have no plans of returning. i'm enjoying spending my hard earned cash funding my own overseas holidays instead of my ex-Ts.