Does therapy....

iVillage Member
Registered: 04-13-2004
Does therapy....
33
Tue, 09-25-2007 - 10:50am

really work?

I ask this question as a two-fold....

One, I have started therapy myself and have found a really great therapist. We've just started to get into the work and I am finding out she is really good. What I struggle with, is the fact that I am going to grad school to get my masters for counseling and I am in my last year of school. So when I ask myself, does this work, I really wonder what therapy does to help? I was recently in a relationship that brought out things in myself for the first time that I noticed had to be resolved before I could ever help anyone else. Why this one relationship affected so MUCH more then others is because I guess we really had a deep connection, but also triggered issues in each other that needs to be resolved. At least that is what my therapist says and I do feel she is right. One thing therapy does if you have a good therapist, is make you realize why you do things. But my question is, does it really help in the long end? If so, how does it help? How do these things end up getting resolved? There has to be more then just getting these issues out into the open. These are the things we don't talk about in school.

For the second part of my dilemma, my ex was contacting me via text and phone. I still adore him and I know he loves me. I continued to allow him to contact me because I told him that if he got help himself, I would stand next to him. And he did. He has been seeing a therapist for about a month now. And he is committed to continuing the therapy. But now, he has been Dr. Jekkel and Mr. Hyde. One moment he wants to confide in me what he has been learning and the next, he is getting so ANGRY at me for the smallest things. I learned after we broke up, he has addiction issues. He was able to suppress them while we dated for the 8 months we were together, but once I broke up with him, they all came crashing out. My counselor says that he could not suppress them anymore because he does not know how to deal with his emotions and my break up with him really devastated him. We have decided not to contact each other anymore, in order to focus on healing ourselves. And I am sure this is over, which breaks my heart, even though I know it is for the best for both of us for the moment. Maybe one day we will find our way back to each other. Who knows.

But back to my question in my mind..... Does therapy REALLY help, because I feel right now that things are just getting worse.

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Avatar for schnappsers
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
In reply to: kcole68
Thu, 09-27-2007 - 2:44pm

>>I'll never say I agree with capegirardeau I wholeheartedly believe his purpose for being here is merely to rile people up.


I couldn't agree with you more on this point!

iVillage Member
Registered: 08-02-2007
In reply to: kcole68
Thu, 09-27-2007 - 4:20pm
>> I wholeheartedly believe purpose for being here is merely to rile people up.







rofl..


Edited 9/27/2007 6:12 pm ET by capegirardeau
iVillage Member
Registered: 07-21-2004
In reply to: kcole68
Tue, 10-02-2007 - 1:39pm

I am someone who has been diagnosed with clinical depression, and I must tell you...most psychiatrists no longer do any type of psychotherapy - they simply go through a checklist of your symptoms and prescribe the medication, then send you on your way. You usually have to go to a PhD psychologist, or a clinical social worker for therapy. Not sure if it's just like that in my area...but my efforts to find a doctor that both prescribes medication AND does therapy have been in vain.

And now there are PhD doctors who are also nurse practitioners who can prescribe medication, so sometimes you can't even get an appointment with an actual MD psychiatrist.



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