by offbeatgrl53pf » Fri Jul 15, 2005 7:19 pm
Hello, again, Iblost....
Well, you always have people who understand, on these forums.
As far as professional help....Your psychiatrist sounds pretty typical.
They tend to book 15 minute sessions, and primarily (or only?) focus on your medication. Most don't do psychotherapy.
Have you tried asking your psychiatrist for a referral, or just to give you some leads to some counseling/therapy?
Do you have health insurance? My health insurance provider sent me a booklet, after I asked them to share a list of certain kinds of health providers. From there, I was able to choose providers on my plan.
Have you gone to the Initial page before the psychforums.com forums appear?
You can type into your address bar: psychforums.com...from there you can try to access some providers in your area.
Or, do you live with parents, and believe they will try to stand in the way of your getting therapy?
Mine were like that. When I first began therapy, it was in a local hospital's outpatient mental health clinic, for a sliding fee - cost me $3 per session, as she knew I earned only $15 per week in my part time job, and had to buy gas for the car to get myself to my classes in the next town. (Had no insurance separate from my mother's).
I was hooked up with an Excellent therapist, who went with me to "places" I'd never Dreamed anyone would, or could. She was the first person to hear the "strange things' I really Needed to share and explore with someone. I didn't let my parents know that I was in therapy until I felt SOLIDLY that they couldn't ruin it for me in any way - a year or 2 later. They had the expected reactions, but by that time it didn't matter What they said - I KNEW how beneficial it was for me, and Couldn't be influenced, or prevented from going to therapy.
(I was 19 or 20 at the time.)
Do you go to school? Do you have transportation to get to a therapist when you find one?
I'm quite sure my parents considered my time away from the house as being taken up with my college classes or at the library, so I never had to explain where I was going, to "sneak off" to therapy.
Might this work for you?
Even the phone book has Tons of therapists in it - social workers, psychologists, certified counselors....Have you looked? Therapists are Everywhere!
And Know you have the right to "shop" for just the right one for You. Someone you consider competent to deal with you, and that you feel at ease with and liked (& understood) by. (The First one might not be a match, but don't worry....it doesn't signify anything about You and your situation - it just means it's not a "match".
(Actually, the First person I approached for help was a college guidance counselor, who apparently did Not have either the training, or personality to help me...I found this out by the first or 2nd meeting. I found his approach to be very "shallow"....I didn't feel understood by him At All. Didn't have the skills to help me, but might have steered me in a helpful direction, instead of trying to handle me Himself.)
The therapist I saw next was the one at the hospital clinic. She was well-trained in Gestalt therapy, and knew a fair share about bioenergetics - both of which were helpful in working with me. She went DEEP with me....Just the approach I desperately needed.
Keep posting if it helps...at least you can feel Understood by the people here, to "tide you over" until you find a competent professional to help you. And you might find it helpful to keep in touch with us at the forums, even after you Do find the right therapeutic match.
Good Luck, and thanks So much for sharing! I hope to hear from you again (and again)!
offbeatgrl53pf