Psycho-Babble Psychology Thread 361544

Shown: posts 1 to 7 of 7. This is the beginning of the thread.

 

new therapist soon. many thanks racer, fallsfall,

Posted by platinumbride on June 29, 2004, at 1:47:48

gardengirl, Jai Narayan, and probably others I am forgetting.
I posted several months ago about extricating myself from useless therapy with a psychiatrist who in every other way is great. I finally told him that I want to seek therapy from a female who lives in my area. He took it in stride and was actually more concerned with other health problems I am having! He wants copies of all lab work concerning my amenorrhea.

You guys really helped me to get this ball rolling, and I am so grateful. I sometimes don't post because I feel just too down......surely we can all relate to that :(

I have been given the names of several peoplw who apparently do EMDR therapy. I have read a bit about this from other posters. I don't know if it will be for me, but it is worth a shot, because the strong feeling that I never really had the guts to continue in the rat race of the struggling opera singer in New York, has been the cause of great trauma for me. I mean there has been sexual abuse, I have been the victim of a violent crime, I lost someone in the 9/11 attacks.....a whole slew of things, but not one of them affected me like the loss of my career - or rather my deciding to give up my career. That was my very reason for being.
I needen't go on and on, but if anyone has any info or insight about this EMDR stuff, I would really appreciate it. I just am not finding much on the net that isn't trying to sell me a bunch of video tapes!
I see posts about people having one therapist for emdr and another for, I assume, more long term things....Is this necessary and commonplace? Does EMDR entail getting in and out of therapy as fast as one can or is there some leverage and flexibility?

So far the women I have called have been too full to take me, but each refers me to another who uses this technique i never knew exixted until an objective party gave me some references.

Thanks again, and warm hugs to all who are struggling here....and also to those who are moving past the struggles.....

Diane

 

Re: new therapist soon. many thanks racer, fallsfall, » platinumbride

Posted by gardenergirl on June 29, 2004, at 2:42:36

In reply to new therapist soon. many thanks racer, fallsfall,, posted by platinumbride on June 29, 2004, at 1:47:48

Good luck to you. It sounds like you have a good handle on what you need, and a good plan to reach it.

I wish you the best in your search.

And I can relate to feeling too down to post sometimes. Please know that you can post here for support or to give support. No one keeps track. And if you are too busy or too down, that's okay. It's still nice to hear from you when you do.

Take care,

gg

 

Re: new therapist soon. many thanks racer, fallsfall, » platinumbride

Posted by fallsfall on June 29, 2004, at 6:33:42

In reply to new therapist soon. many thanks racer, fallsfall,, posted by platinumbride on June 29, 2004, at 1:47:48

I'm glad that you are moving in a positive direction, and I wish you serendipity in your quest!

I have no experience with EMDR. I often hear of people having a "regular" therapist, and then seeing an EMDR therapist as a "specialist". But I have also heard of people who have a "regular" therapist who does EMDR sometimes. There have been threads (mostly on this board, I would think, but possibly on Social as well) about EMDR - including one recently. You could always put "EMDR" in the subject line of a post to draw in the people with EMDR experience.

Finding a new therapist is important, stressful, and time consuming. Your current therapist sounds like he would be willing to help you in your search - he would be a valuable resource. I posted a while ago about one way to find a new therapist (http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/psycho/20031213/msgs/290414.html). I don't know if that post will be helpful for you. I would be happy to talk about that process more with you (with the caveat that my own life is in turmoil right now, so it might take me a couple of days to get back to you).

I'm glad you posted. And gardenergirl is right, no one keeps track of whether you are asking for support or giving it - we each do what we need to do for ourselves, and it seems to work out fine. It is tempting to say that noone will want to read our posts when we are depressed - but those are often the times when we need support the most. This is one of the few places where you really CAN tell how you are feeling - one of the few places where people really DO want to know when they as "How are you today?".

Nice to see you,
Falls.

 

Re: new therapist soon. many thanks racer, fallsfall, » platinumbride

Posted by partlycloudy on June 29, 2004, at 8:01:19

In reply to new therapist soon. many thanks racer, fallsfall,, posted by platinumbride on June 29, 2004, at 1:47:48

Hi, I started EMDR therapy a few weeks ago, tomorrow is my second session. My therapist recommended the therapy because I wasn't able to sustain good results with CBT. The EMDR therapist is in the same practice, and is my T's T! I had 2 evaluation appointments with the EMDR T where I answered lots of multiple choice questions, rating situations on how strongly I felt emotionally about them, and she also asked about disassociation.

So yes, I have 2 T's at the moment. At my last appointment with my original T, she mentioned that I might stop seeing her and continue with the EMDR therpist, which I'm OK with. As she said, her main goal is for me to get better, not to increase the number of doctors and appointments I have. I am so impressed with the results so far - I really hope it helps me to integrate and process the events in my past that I'm so stuck on that I have anxiety and panic attacks.

The first session of EMDR "blew my mind" which I think is the whole idea! A great weight was lifted, my anxiety fled for the first time in years, and I felt finally free. This great feeling waned after 3 days or so, but it's encouraging to have had such an immediate and positive effect.

I do understand that it's important to determine whether the therapist is sufficiently qualified for the treatment. She encouraged me to ask as many questions as I liked about her training and experience. Although the session went at my own pace and I was able to stop or slow down when I felt overwhelmed, she really guided the process and helped to wean out the feelings that were at the core of the event we were concentrating on.

I'd be happy to answer any other questions if I'm able to.

good luck
pc

 

About that tally sheet » platinumbride

Posted by Racer on June 29, 2004, at 13:36:19

In reply to new therapist soon. many thanks racer, fallsfall,, posted by platinumbride on June 29, 2004, at 1:47:48

You know, I worry a lot that I only post when I'm in horrible shape, that my marks on the "take" side of the tally sheet here far outnumber those on the "give" side. Seeing my name on your list of posters to thank, and then reading that you share that concern was kinda ironic, huh?

I know you've given me a lot, and at times that I needed it most. (I always remember your posts, for the silliest reason: I have a platinum wedding band. How could I resist the name "platinumbride?")

I'm so very glad you're getting a new therapist, and wish you the absolute best one out there for YOU. If you need ideas about how to find her, let us know -- if it's possible to do it, someone here already has, I'd bet.

Best luck.

 

Re: About that tally sheet

Posted by platinumbride on June 29, 2004, at 16:44:20

In reply to About that tally sheet » platinumbride, posted by Racer on June 29, 2004, at 13:36:19

Thanks all so very much. Racer, fwiw, I had a platinum colored wedding dress designed for me by an "oh so FABULOUS" costume designer I had worked with some years before the big ole day. Thank you for remembering my name!

I am so glad that I have been of help to you too....I guess in the end we sometimes wind up even in some weird way.

Partlycloudy, I had read your posts about that type of therapy. Thank you for elaborating even more, and I am really glad that you are benefitting from it.

I have a few names as I may have said before. I didn't request this kind of therapy but I was told that each of the women I have as potential candidates does her work with this technique.

I think that even a looooooong major depressive episode is a trauma - and one that a lot of people have no clue about. The key, as you have all said at some point or another, is having GOOD therapy, no matter what the technique. And good is subjective, of course.....

Thanks again to you all.

Diane

 

My 2 cents on EMDR » platinumbride

Posted by antigua on June 29, 2004, at 21:06:51

In reply to new therapist soon. many thanks racer, fallsfall,, posted by platinumbride on June 29, 2004, at 1:47:48

I'm one of those who has two therapists. My regular T and a new one for EMDR. If I had to do it again, I would prefer the same person so that 1)I wouldn't have to explain everything that happens in EMDR to my regular T, and 2) so that I wouldn't have to balance out the differences of opinion (only minor) between the two T's interpretations. That said, I like getting a different perspective and I'm really pleased w/how things are going. I'm a slow learner so I haven't had dramatic results like some (I'm jealous!), but it has lifted a weight off my shoulders.

antigua


This is the end of the thread.


Show another thread

URL of post in thread:


Psycho-Babble Psychology | Extras | FAQ


[dr. bob] Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD, bob@dr-bob.org

Script revised: February 4, 2008
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/cgi-bin/pb/mget.pl
Copyright 2006-17 Robert Hsiung.
Owned and operated by Dr. Bob LLC and not the University of Chicago.