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Legendary Wise Elder
SlumberKitty
is staying stable.
Member Since: Jul 2018
Location: CA
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#1
Hi All,
I have an appointment with New T today--Dr. K. I'm a bit nervous even though it won't be my first time with a new T....it's just my first time with THIS new T. I filled out a mountain of paperwork and emailed it in so I hope he has looked at it. I would be upset if he is flipping through it as we are meeting because there was a lot to it. We are meeting virtually through Doxy.me. I've not used that platform but I watched a Youtube video on it and it seems really easy. It seems similar to one my Pdoc uses Simple Health or Simple Practice something like that. I'm nervous because if he asks what my goals are I kind of know what they are but I don't really know how to articulate them so I'm trying to sort that out in my head now before I meet with him (at 2). And I'm nervous in case he just thinks I'm wasting his time or something. I've been fairly stable for a little while but it wasn't that long ago that I wasn't stable. When I am stable I often feel like why am I in therapy but when I'm not stable then I know why I am in therapy. The only other male therapist I had was my pastor and obviously I already knew him. This guy used to work with my Pdoc so that makes me feel a little better. Usually I have older women but maybe it would be better to have a whole different perspective. I'm just a little nervous. Anyone has some words of wisdom to share? Thanks HUGS Kit __________________ Dum Spiro Spero IC XC NIKA |
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Legendary Wise Elder
SlumberKitty
is staying stable.
Member Since: Jul 2018
Location: CA
Posts: 27,329
(SuperPoster!)
117.7k hugs
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#2
Oh and plus I haven't told Regular T that I am looking around at other T's and I am supposed to meet with her on Saturday. I feel guilty.
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Magnate
Rive.
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#3
Good luck with your appointment. There's no need to feel guilty... you are doing good self-care. There is nothing wrong in seeking consistent, helpful, support.
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I hope it works out and that he is a good match. You've waited a long time for this.. |
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LonesomeTonight
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#4
I hope your appointment goes well, Kit.
I would suggest telling him exactly this: "I've been fairly stable for a little while but it wasn't that long ago that I wasn't stable. When I am stable I often feel like why am I in therapy but when I'm not stable then I know why I am in therapy." And I think one goal would be to try to stay stable, or to recognize the signs that you're becoming less stable an have a plan to deal with them. Not just like a safety plan, but something that kicks in sooner than that. As for working with a male T, I find I actually tend to prefer them. But it's always been a bit easier for me to talk to males, for whatever reason. So, he will likely have your paperwork in front of him and may reference things from it. That doesn't mean he didn't look at it before. But with this being the first time you're seeing him, he won't have the memory from working with you for a long time. And he may have questions about specific things you said. That's what Dr. T did the first session in part, went through some of my answers with me, asked questions, etc. Some T's also have a standard way that they do intakes, especially if he works for a clinic. Like certain questions they ask all new clients. He may want to go through and take a general history, like, say, when certain symptoms and conditions started, what sorts of treatment (not just medication, but types of therapy, mindfulness, etc.) you've tried. A general sense of what your childhood was like, what your current living and working conditions are, things like that. And he'll likely explain how he works. He should be open to your asking any questions. It's a time when you could ask, say, whether he allows outside contact or extra sessions. Or it could be that you sign on and he just asks what led you to come see him and it's a more open conversation. It really just depends on the therapist's style. One thing I would say is, unless you really dislike him or he says he has little experience treating your conditions, I would give it at least two sessions to decide. The first can be very businesslike, you're just getting to know each other. The fact that it will be online could make it more challenging to get a true sense of him--some therapists are much better online than others (I'm lucky in that mine is one of the good ones with that). And I assume he'd eventually meet clients in person again? Also, I used doxy.me a couple times with D's T, and I think it's what I used for a consultation with another potential T. It was fairly easy to use, from what I recall, where they just send you a link. Will be thinking good thoughts for you! Sorry, that ended up being a novel! |
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*Beth*
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#5
Quote:
Hi Kit, Almost anyone would be nervous, seeing a new T. Sheesh, I've been seeing mine for 2 years and I still get nervous. I think writing down the above paragraph and either reading it to him or remembering to bring up the pertinent points would be a really good start, because you've outlined your presenting concerns in those sentences. I hope your appointment goes really well. Let us know! __________________ |
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Legendary
Breaking Dawn
Thankful for my blessings.
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#6
Hi, Kit! I've had really good & not good Ts, both male & female. I admire you for searching for a good one, even while feeling nervous. I don't have a T at the moment & I really need one. I'm looking forward to your report about how this first session went. Hugs!!
__________________ "Every moment is a fresh beginning." (T. S. Eliot) "Problems are not stop signs, they are guidelines."(Robert H. Schiuller) * * * * * * |
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Elder Harridan x-hankster
unaluna
Female luna moth - Please, dont @mention
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#7
Hope it went well!
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Elder
velcro003
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#8
I hope it went okay, Kit!
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RoxanneToto
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#9
I also hope it went well and that they’re a good match for you.
I’ve been seeing my T for a few months and still get nervous, felt like I was going out of my mind waiting for the first Zoom call with her haha, so it’s totally understandable that you felt like that. |
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Legendary Wise Elder
SlumberKitty
is staying stable.
Member Since: Jul 2018
Location: CA
Posts: 27,329
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#10
Appointment with new T went well. He says he agrees with current T that I am doing well, however, he can see the value of having a crisis reduction plan so I'm not suffering so much when I am in crisis. He is CBT oriented which is not my favorite orientation of therapy, but I think I may try him for a few months and then I can always go back with regular T, try someone else, or quit. I just need to cancel my appointment with regular T this coming Saturday, as I don't know that my insurance will pay both plus it will be nice to have a Saturday off with nothing to do. Dr. K does Doxy.me which was easy to use. At first it was weird but I got used to it pretty quickly. He said with my diagnosis the medication is going to do most of the heavy lifting. He asked me if I was on medication which annoyed me because it was in the packet of paperwork I filled out, but it doesn't mean he didn't read it, maybe he just forgot. He also said CBT isn't the best modality for my diagnosis but we'll see if we can't get something worked out for when I am in crisis and to keep me out of the hospital. His voice was very soothing which I appreciated. He also looked nothing like his psychology today profile. Ha. Must have been an old picture or something. I'm still not entirely sure how to say his name, so Dr. K. it is. I have an appointment in two weeks. The only bad thing is that it is in working hours so I have to take sick leave to go to see him. Thanks everyone for the support and well wishes. HUGS Kit
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*Beth*
is practicing healthy breathing for brain, mind,
body, spirit.
Member Since: Jul 2019
Location: Downtown Vibes, California
Posts: 15,701
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#11
Thanks for the update, Kit. Sounds like overall, your appointment went well. What is your diagnosis?
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Legendary Wise Elder
SlumberKitty
is staying stable.
Member Since: Jul 2018
Location: CA
Posts: 27,329
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117.7k hugs
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#12
My diagnosis is schizoaffective disorder depressed type, general anxiety disorder, and ADHD inattentive type. I was also at one point diagnosed with Aspergers but that is no longer in the dignosing manual except for under Autism Spectrum disorder. My pdoc doesn't have it listed under my current dx's. So I'm not sure if it still applies to me or not.
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Always in This Twilight
LonesomeTonight
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#13
Also glad it went well. CBT can be used for Generalized Anxiety Disorder (which I have), so maybe it could at least be used to help with that aspect? No idea on schizoaffective disorder--do you know what type of therapy is generally used for that? Maybe you could work with him for a bit, then try to find a T who works more with that disorder or with ADHD.
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Legendary Wise Elder
SlumberKitty
is staying stable.
Member Since: Jul 2018
Location: CA
Posts: 27,329
(SuperPoster!)
117.7k hugs
given |
#14
Quote:
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Taylor27
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#15
I am so glad to hear the appointment with the new therapist went well. I really. cbt can be useful for anxiety hopefully he has other ways of helping you. My therapist does allot of cbt, and trauma therapies. Hugs
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Legendary
Breaking Dawn
Thankful for my blessings.
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#16
I am also so glad, Kit, that things went pretty well for this first appointment. And the soothing voice is a plus, I think, when we're feeling anxious. Harsh voices can feel intimidating to many of us. I look forward to hearing how you feel after your next therapy session.
__________________ "Every moment is a fresh beginning." (T. S. Eliot) "Problems are not stop signs, they are guidelines."(Robert H. Schiuller) * * * * * * |
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Grand Poohbah
comrademoomoo
is losing at chess, winning at blundering
Member Since: Feb 2019
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#17
This sounds like a bit of a mixed bag to me. Are you happy to continue with him or are you settling for something which falls short of your needs? Really check out with yourself what you want. I know from my own experience that psychosis requires real skill and care from a therapist.
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Legendary Wise Elder
SlumberKitty
is staying stable.
Member Since: Jul 2018
Location: CA
Posts: 27,329
(SuperPoster!)
117.7k hugs
given |
#18
Quote:
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*Beth*
is practicing healthy breathing for brain, mind,
body, spirit.
Member Since: Jul 2019
Location: Downtown Vibes, California
Posts: 15,701
(SuperPoster!)
23.7k hugs
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#19
My diagnosis isn't all that far from yours. My T works with CBT and when she started using it I was so disappointed, I almost quit. I felt hopeless when she began with the CBT exercises, but I decided I'd do them, anyway. Turns out I'm finding it helpful, especially for my very worst symptom (imo)- anxiety.
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Grand Magnate
nottrustin
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#20
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