Admitting that therapy is helping?

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Admitting that therapy is helping?
5
Tue, 02-21-2006 - 3:31pm

This seems very weird to me, and I was wondering if anyone else did this besides me. I have a hard time admitting to anyone--therapist included--that the therapy is helping. What is up with that? I know it is helping because I start getting antsy about 3 days after a session because I want to go back, and I hate it when one of us has to cancel that week's session for whatever reason. Periodically, my therapist will ask me if I think what we're doing is helpful. Usually, this is after a difficult session where I'm not being receptive to what she's saying. And even though I *know* it is helpful, I'm always noncommital about it like, "Yeah, I guess so." Why is that? It seems like it all goes back to the fact that I have such a hard time asking anyone for help and accepting anyone's help. Maybe when someone is trying to help me, I can't acknowledge it?


Laura

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iVillage Member
Registered: 01-17-2001
Tue, 02-21-2006 - 3:56pm

Laura,


It seems natural for me that some people have a hard time accepting help, thus causing us to not admit to "needing" help. Maybe that could be the case with you.


I see my therapist and she is great but I am now seeing her every month, it started once a week and sometimes I would call inbetween.


Could it be you anxiety and you just being upset about having it and having to see a tdoc?


Just some ideas...


It is great however, that you do reconize that you are being helped. Maybe this could be something that you bring up with your tdoc at your next session?


iVillage Member
Registered: 03-11-2004
Tue, 02-21-2006 - 6:23pm
I just wanted to say that I'm not sure what's going on with this one, Laura. (What??? Jan actually has NOTHING to say??? LOL) Anyhoo, I would just bask in the glow of the help I'm receiving. Your therapist has learned to accept the fact through her training that seeing your improvement will have to do. I think *T's* don't get much positive feedback otherwise. I bet she knows that you're saying *Yeah, I guess so" is your way of agreeing that the therapy is going well. 11 months in attendance speaks volumes!
 

 


 



iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Wed, 02-22-2006 - 10:08am

I'm sure you're right, Jan. Actually, I can think of at least twice in the past 11 months when things weren't going so well in the sessions where she asked me if I wanted to stop coming. Her point was that if I wasn't willing to be open to what she had to say that maybe I wasn't ready for therapy and that I shouldn't come back until I was ready. So I think the fact that I have hung in there all this time says something, and I hope she knows that. It's so hard to look at this in an unbiased way--at least for me--because I'm always projecting how I feel about something onto others. But, yeah, therapists have to be tough.


Laura

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iVillage Member
Registered: 03-22-2003
Wed, 02-22-2006 - 8:05pm

Laura, do you think that maybe this therapist just might not be the right one for you?

Sheri Ann

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Thu, 02-23-2006 - 8:50am

No, I really think it is just me. I'm not very open with people in general. I really like my therapist and look forward to the sessions, even after (like last week) when it was hard. I think no matter who I saw, I would from time to time close myself off from that person. That's just how I am. I don't readily trust people, no matter how good their intentions.


My session is later this morning. It will be interesting to see how it goes after last week.


Laura

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