Therapist and "politics"

[Talokin]

I'm NOT trying to discuss politics. Promise. I will NOT refer to political parties/ideologies. Instead I will write XYZ.

But I have been communicating with a therapist who was helping me find a permanent therapist. She knows people I know and has even been to my apt.

She sent me a list of therapists for me to try and I said:
- they seem like the same XYZ therapists that haven't helped me for the past 30 years
- I think you have a broader understanding than the XYZ type
-that was ALL I said about politics
-talked about having severe brain fog from benzo withdrawal

Her response was very long but included:
"Your response to the therapists I recommended is quite astounding to me, but I understand that it is some part speaking, not the part I met. Believe me, I am also a XYZ therapist, and your attributions to me from the pictures on my wall are flattering but overrated. If you read my profile on Psychology Today, I sound exactly like the people you have disparaged.
Again, sorry to have intruded into the system of your closed circle, angry/scared parts. If there is another part whom would welcome some help, please don't hesitate to contact me."

edit - the reference to "parts" has to do with the type of therapy (Internal Family Systems) and not MPD/DID

Please...I new I'm new here...but I'm in agony over this. I was feeling hopeful with her help. Does anyone have any insight about this? Experienced similar?

And she knows I'm suicidal...I almost wonder if she thinks I'm "beyond help"...

 

[Shakespear's Brother]

I find it unusual that a therapist would choose to qualify any behavior of a person they are helping as "astounding". It's quite judgemental.

And that bit about another part welcoming her help seems like a passive aggressive dig of sorts. But tbh, I may not know enough about DID to be accurate in saying that.

So I don't know what her problem is, but it's not your fault. I'm sorry you're experiencing agony over it.

*Although you mentioned she has been to your apartment and she knows people you know; perhaps she has lost her sense of boundaries in that case, she took your comments too personally. Again, not your fault. That's her problem.

 

[Talokin]

Thank you for your reply.
FYI - her reference to "parts" was about a type of therapy (Internal Family Systems) and not DID/MPD.

However, I really connected to the type of therapy she talked about...but I guess, ultimately, I belong here more than anywhere else.

 

[Shakespear's Brother]

FYI - her reference to "parts" was about a type of therapy (Internal Family Systems) and not DID/MPD.

Thanks for explaining, have not heard of that before.

 

[FTL.Wanderer]

Please...I new I'm new here...but I'm in agony over this. I was feeling hopeful with her help. Does anyone have any insight about this? Experienced similar?

And she knows I'm suicidal...I almost wonder if she thinks I'm "beyond help"...

Man, sorry you're not feeling supported by your ... support therapist (even if only your temporary therapist). In my experience, therapy (much of psychology in general) isn't objective. It's largely a network of individual and culturally validated opinions the therapy lobbyists have successfully gotten government to recognize as official and right. I'm not trying to preach at all, but all of that, unfortunately, means that some opinions and worldviews enjoy the appearance of objective truth. And their holders can appear justifiably indignant when our perspectives are different enough from theirs. So these professionals in whose hands we've placed our lives can do great damage when, motivated mainly by a mere difference in seeing things, they disparage or repudiate us, often labeling us "crazy" or irredeemable and leaving us in a worse place of suffering.

I no longer do therapy because it never made me feel any better AND because I couldn't find strong evidence in support of its root assumptions or the effectiveness of many of its interventions. Hope you find a good therapist, though. For what it's worth, I think your temp therapist's response to you was unprofessional. You're the patient, after all, not the care provider. Best of luck to you.

 

[Talokin]

That's exactly how I feel.

I'm just too sad/tired to express it as nicely as you just did.

I actually agreed to meet with this woman because my family was trying to get me locked up.

I actually read academic journals for Social Work - because I was afraid of it getting politicized by lobbying/government dummies.

I'm feeling kinda dumb myself right now - but it's probably just to cover up my rage at this incident.

 

[Temporarilyabsurd]

I saw a therapist a few years ago - I reached out to them from a place of awful frozen cycling self destruction .

I wasn't going to search online ...

I knew them ... so it was a quick phone call.

On reflection ... as I knew it was a bit weird ( the fact that I knew them , distantly , but for a long time ( over a decade ))
I think my first question should have been to ask them to find me a therapist .

They were still training ... so I think even that idea felt a bit rude , tantamount to; "Hi X ,can you help me get a REAL therapist from your contacts ? " ...

Water under the bridge .

I think any therapist SHOULD be professionally open and positive about finding another therapist for an existing client .
Your therapist in question probably 'believes' the same ...

They sound like they are a bit peaved ... and have dropped the therapist veil of compassion in a human moment.

Therapists are just people .
We can empower them with parental saviour godliness... ( The whole 'transferance' thing I believe - ?)

But that has to go sometime .

I'm sorry you are distressed about this .

No harm in looking around for other 'modalities' ( Is that the correct jargon ?)
We are social / personal creatures and need people 'in our corner' ... so I would hope you don't bin therapy or other
people oriented processes of personal 'liberation' 'alleviation of suffering' ....

Just my two cents.
( my experience with the blurry line between social world and therapist was the main reason for commenting .)

 

[FTL.Wanderer]

I actually agreed to meet with this woman because my family was trying to get me locked up.

If you'd like, I'm happy to chat in private. That the state empowers psychiatry (and its proxies) to incarcerate and force drugs into and unwanted "treatment" on citizens who are no threat to anyone else, removing our basic civil rights, is repugnant. Especially in light of the persistent finding that forced commitment can precipitate suicide. I'd be very anxious, too. It might serve you to play the game--act the way the others need you to--so you can avoid being thrown in jail. Don't give them any excuse to institutionalize you... Really sorry... :/