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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 12 of 12. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by lookdownfish on November 12, 2003, at 16:52:34
I have been seeing my (psychodynamic) therapist once a week for about 7 months, for depression and anxiety. She is really pushing me to go twice a week. But I don't know whether I want to get any more dependent on her. I've got a huge crush on her, so obviously I would love to see more of her, but probably not for the right reasons. If I could be convinced that we are getting somewhere, I would do it, but how do I know its going to help? At the moment, I feel the therapy is helping me by containing the problem, not actually solving it. The other problem is, I don't think my husband would be very supportive of a second session, due to expense. Does anyone have any views? Does it make a big difference going twice weekly?
Thanks
Posted by karen_kay on November 12, 2003, at 17:02:13
In reply to How often do you have your therapy session?, posted by lookdownfish on November 12, 2003, at 16:52:34
The way my therapist explained it to me is that if I started to get in the position that I needed extra support he would begin seeing me twice a week. Maybe actually seeing more of her would allow you to start making more progress, as you said that you kinda felt maybe you weren't getting anywhere. As for the cost, can you actually put a price tag on your mental health. I know I had issues with the cost at first, but now that I feel SO much better I realize that the dollar amount is minimal compared to the suffering I payed in the past. Plus, if it is your husband paying, maybe you can take it out in trade?? Some things to think aobut? Just my thoughts Karen
Posted by karen_kay on November 12, 2003, at 17:03:44
In reply to How often do you have your therapy session?, posted by lookdownfish on November 12, 2003, at 16:52:34
Posted by Dinah on November 12, 2003, at 17:11:13
In reply to How often do you have your therapy session?, posted by lookdownfish on November 12, 2003, at 16:52:34
I go twice a week now, though I keep wanting to go down to three times every two weeks. I think that spacing would be sufficient.
I find it helps a lot in two ways. First, there is more continuity. A week seems like such a long time to me, and I was usually unable to keep the theme of the prior session in mind. There was more stopping and starting. With twice a week, I can continue almost where we left off, and both of us pretty well remember it and I still have an emotional connection to it. That lets us go deeper into topics than if we had to start over again.
The second way it helps is that my therapy is to a large degree supportive in nature. Before we went to twice a week, I'd get way more upset about things between sessions, have more meltdowns, and call him more between sessions. Now I feel like I can hold on for a few days till I see him next, no matter (almost) how I feel.
But I think that maybe Monday-Friday-Wednesday would accomplish the same goals.
Posted by DaisyM on November 12, 2003, at 19:17:51
In reply to How often do you have your therapy session?, posted by lookdownfish on November 12, 2003, at 16:52:34
Hi,
I think it depends on the issues you are talking about and how your are processing them afterward. When my son started at every-other-week, we got no where. We moved to weekly and it made a huge difference. (Anxiety disorder)
For me, I started at weekly and recently went to 2x's week but that was because I emotionally was melting down a few days after sessions and couldn't keep it together. (I run a company so I HAVE TO keep it together!)
I also didn't (don't) have anyone to process all this stuff with, so going twice a week allows us to go into something and then back off and talk about the process of going into it. I think it allows integration into your life a little better. My life is very complicated right now and there are both past issues to deal with as well as current stuff that sucks.
There is no doubt that it is expensive, at least my insurance allows it.
I still maintain that everyone should be assigned a therapy buddy to go through all of this with. I guess that is what babble is for me. :)
I like Dinah's 3x's in 2 weeks idea though. Very creative.
-D
Posted by fallsfall on November 12, 2003, at 22:45:36
In reply to How often do you have your therapy session?, posted by lookdownfish on November 12, 2003, at 16:52:34
I went once a week to a CBT therapist for quite a while. I felt like I spent a lot of energy trying to get through the week until the next appointment.
I switched to twice a week with a Psychodynamic therapist. I think I am LESS dependent on him than I was on my first therapist (because I'm not pining to see him for as many days??). He's less interested in the day to day stuff, so we go into more depth. That seems OK because I know I'll see him soon if something comes up. I am doing much better now that with my first therapist, but I really can't say if that is because of the frequency, or the orientation change, or just because she wasn't dealing with my transference.
You could try twice a week and see how it goes. If it doesn't work better for you, then go back to once a week.
Posted by Poet on November 13, 2003, at 14:20:43
In reply to How often do you have your therapy session?, posted by lookdownfish on November 12, 2003, at 16:52:34
Blissfully only once a week. I have a mini anxiety attack each and every time before the session. (See how do you gear up for therapy thread.)
My therapist has talked about sending me to a specialist, if my bulimia gets out of control. She said I can still see her if I need to. So that would be two therapists once a week. I pay my therapist out of pocket, the extra one won't be covered by my insurance unless s/he is a PhD, the sessions are limited, etc.
Poet
Posted by lookdownfish on November 13, 2003, at 15:46:03
In reply to Re: How often do you have your therapy session? » lookdownfish, posted by Poet on November 13, 2003, at 14:20:43
Thanks for the helpful responses.
I'm still undecided. I might try going to two sessions, if I don't pull myself out of the current hole. The idea about remembering the theme and going deeper into topics (as mentioned by Dinah) is what I think my therapist is driving at. A week seems like forever and I forget what we were talking about and just start again each time. It takes 45 minutes to get to some important stuff and then its almost time to go.
Another reason I am hesitating about another session is finding the time for it, since I have a part-time job and 2 small children. I know this is just a bit of an excuse though. I could make the time if I really wanted to.
Posted by Deafmom on November 13, 2003, at 17:25:41
In reply to How often do you have your therapy session?, posted by lookdownfish on November 12, 2003, at 16:52:34
I once asked my therapist if he would increase my sessions to twice a week since that's what I've had with all my prior therapists.
He said that therapy is like fertilizer(!). When a plant isn't growing, it would actually kill the plant or stop it from thriving if you kept increasing the fertilizer. But if the plant is in a growth stage and you increase the fertilizer, the plant will continue to grow and grow and grow.
He said that at present time my self-harm is way too severe and my dissociation (I have multiple personalities among four other things) that increasing sessions just wouldn't be beneficial.
Pretty cheesy, but I appreciated his honesty and it showed me that it was nothing to do with money or business, but genuine concern for my health. Cheesy, eh?
Posted by kyp on November 17, 2003, at 0:14:13
In reply to Re: How often do you have your therapy session?, posted by Deafmom on November 13, 2003, at 17:25:41
I see my therapist every day she works. Four days a week then three days the following week.
Janet
Posted by responsiblek9 on November 17, 2003, at 5:53:23
In reply to How often do you have your therapy session?, posted by lookdownfish on November 12, 2003, at 16:52:34
I go once a week unless I am in very bad shape and then twice a week with a call in imbetween. Once in a while I can go two weeks without going.I leave it up to the therapist. I often have no idea how bad I am doing because I am normally quite numb. I do enjoy talking to her because she trains critters like I do. just different areas. Kinda funny how what i know can be dropped back on me and I am reminded how to use the info. But I often tell her. I can cure a dog of major behavioral issues . But I cant seem to fix my stuff when I know what causes it . I do know someways to get it better but I cant extinguish the fear like I can in the dogs brought to me as mental wrecks. But then I think too much LOL! But mostly I am asked to come in more to help me stay on track and not lose progress I have made or to minimize the backslide I might be in. I cant count how many times this has saved me from hospitalization or even death from depression and or physical issues I have not kept track of as to how bad they were getting .
But I also have another interesting thing I have been encouraged to do. To bring in information I find and share it and see if it would be useful to try. I never have a boring session! I know the therapist keeps the sessions kinda close because I crash and burn real fast and dont tell anyone . I just sit on stuff . But for some reason that is just how I handle stuff I guess. The reasons vary as for why they might want someone to come in more often or not. I found it is best to ask WHY? if they want sessions closer together and I feel I am doing ok. responsible K9 in Colorado
Posted by mair on November 19, 2003, at 14:53:19
In reply to Re: How often do you have your therapy session?, posted by responsiblek9 on November 17, 2003, at 5:53:23
I used to go once a week, but have been going twice a week for almost 2 years. My therapist initially asked me to come twice a week during a particularly difficult time. I think her concern was that we were spending so much time just dealing with the crisis du jour that there was no time to actually work on anything. I'm mostly stable now but I know she's still very wedded to the twice a week schedule for me. I think she gave up on CBT stuff with me ages ago and feels that more intensive psychotherapy holds the best chance of success.
I am blessed with a very good health insurance policy which contains unmanaged mental health benefits, although it's extremely expensive and I'm not sure how much longer it's going to be offered by the group I'm in.
Mair
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