therapy?

[megancolleen]

What with graduating from college, moving to a new state, moving in with my boyfriend and getting two new jobs all in the span of three months, on top of dealing with IC, I'm having a bit of trouble managing my stress level. I'm prone to anxiety and depression just naturally, runs very strongly in my family, and so this is proving a very emotionally challenging time in my life.

Before I turn to drugs, I think I might benefit from therapy, but I have never been and don't really know what to expect. I'd love some advice from others who have had experience with seeing a therapist or counselor. I do not have insurance to cover it but have heard some therapists charge fees on a sliding scale based on income....is this true? Cost is a big issue for me. Also, I am not by nature an open person....is it hard to open up to a complete stranger like that? Does the therapist ask you questions and talk to you or are you expected to just talk about whatever comes to mind? As you can see, I really don't know much about this.

Any info/advice would be much appreciated. Thanks!

[PlainJane]

Hi MeganCollen,

I have been doing psychodynamic psychotherapy for a few years and have found it quite helpful. How the sessions operate depend on what kind of therapy you are doing. If you are doing psychoanalysis you do all the talking pretty much as far as I know. I've never done psychoanalysis but that's my understanding of how it works. Psychoanalysis is very intensive (usually go 3-4 times per week).

With the type of therapy I do the client does a lot of the talking but the therapist asks questions, offers insights but doesn't give you advice. It is a dialogue. You usually go once a week.

I have never been to cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) but I understand that it's less about looking at relationships, childhood issues etc and more about simply changing negative thought/behaviour patterns.

There are other types of therapy too like EMDR, etc but I think these are the main three.

Some therapists do charge on a sliding scale. I did find it hard to open up. It can be hard also to talk about very upsetting personal things. You really need to find someone you can trust.

Also I should point out that you have to make sure your therapist is legit. Anyone can call themselves a therapist, as far as I understand. It is up to you to make sure they are legit (have a PhD, Social work degree, etc). I'm sure you know all that but I thought I would point it out anyway.

If you are seriously thinking about trying therapy I say give it a shot. It can be very helpful. However, unlike medication it can take a while before you notice any improvements (at least with psychodynamic psychotherapy I can't comment on CBT). So I guess you also have to keep that in mind when giving therapy a try so you don't get too discouraged and quit before it has a chance to help.

Good luck& hope it helps!

Erica

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It helps with stress/anxiety/pain and also might be cheaper than regular therapy.

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[vm]

Be SURE to ask around to see which therapists people recommend. Therapy is a wonderful thing - have done plenty of it and it's helped me so much in the past. BUT - there are some bad therapists out there, just like there are "bad" folks in any profession, so you want to be sure that if you are investing the money and time that you are getting someone good.

And I hate to say this, but sometimes the ones with the sliding scales aren't the best... They tend not to be paid as much so sometimes that means the really good therapists aren't attracted to jobs at those centers. I am certainly NOT saying that all therapists who work on that basis are bad - they're not. But sometimes you really do get what you pay for so just be careful. A good state of mind is worth a lot of money ---- we had a "tab" with a therapist for years - making payments each month to be able to pay for it all. LOL