[Fuzzybear]

How long does it take for a therapist to evaluate a client? Especially if it’s a “complex” issue/issues. How many sessions, months etc..

This is one of the issues I’ve been thinking about recently.

[WarmFuzzySocks]

Hugs, Fuzzy. Evaluate for what purpose? For diagnosis, or for the purposes of determining course of treatment, or ??

I have never thought I was being evaluated.

[ChickenNoodleSoup]

I can't speak for everyone of course, but for me it's something like this:

Being evaluated as in what's the diagnosis I have took maybe a few weeks to a month or two with one session a week.
Being evaluated as in what are all the things that contribute to there being an issue took 2 years so far, but I'm not sure we're done with that. But that might be because I don't trust easily and take a long time to open up.
And evaluated to adjust or determine treatment, I'd that needs some statistics over a few weeks. Either T or I check in every few weeks about how everything is going and if something needs change, we change it.

[nottrustin]

T I initially went the mood disorder as that was what my pcp had been using since it was the first time I ever sought help. It didn't take her long maybe a month or so to diagnose me with major depression. It took quite some time to realize I had PTSD because I had never told anybody about my trauma history. I had out on a great mark. Once I revealed the trauma it took her a few months to determine it was PTSD because I was still very guarded and unemotional.

Shortly after I switched to pdoc for meds she diagnosed me with a form of bipolar. T adamantly disagreed. She understood why pdoc would come to that conclusion. I put such a mask on so it is harder to tell when I am depressed. When depressed I fake it so that I appear happy...so time I fake it so much that I appear manic when really I am really depressed. Eventually I brought it up to pdoc and she agreed and didn't realize she had never changes it. So I had the bipolar diagnosis for a few years that nobody agreed with.

Originally Posted by Fuzzybear

How long does it take for a therapist to evaluate a client? Especially if it’s a “complex” issue/issues. How many sessions, months etc..

This is one of the issues I’ve been thinking about recently.

I've wondered this too at times. It does not seem accurate for a doctor or t to diagnose someone, especially with complex issues, in just one session, for instance, though I have had many times when I've been diagnosed in one session. I really think...diagnosis should not matter as much as helping the client deal with their symptoms and issues. We are still finding things out about me, with my current T. I've been seeing her for 7 months!

[downandlonely]

I had a therapist who always put "adjustment disorder" as my diagnosis. She said it was so the insurance people wouldn't see my real diagnosis of major depression. She said even though they're not supposed to tell anyone about it, sometimes they do.