#switching therapists

[mentalillnessmouse]

My therapist quit her job and now I have to transfer to a new one... this woman seems nice I guess but it feels like such a loss, like my progress is gone, because it's hard for me to open up to new people. How do I process..... ?

Hey anon,

Moving to a new therapist is pretty difficult. I went through it last fall after I moved, and it sucks to go through the process of connecting with a new person.

But your progress is NOT lost, anon. Everything you’ve done has been you. Sure, your therapist facilitated that, but the work was you.

Your new therapist should be able to help you process your feelings about this, and I encourage you to open up about that. Talking about your difficulty in this would be a great way to start opening up to them.

Stay strong.

--roboraptor

[thistherapylife]

I started seeing a new therapist about a month ago. I'm having trouble opening up and getting used to her. The other therapist I was with for 2 years and felt really comfortable around her. This new therapist, she's nice and everything but not as engaging as I'd like her to be. I often don't feel like repeating my life story because it's triggering for me. So often I sit there with nothing to say. Do you think I should change therapists, or wait it out till I get comfortable?

Can you remember how long it took you to get comfortable with your old therapist? I’m going to guess that it took you a little while and we tend to forgot it took a while. It’s only been a month - your new therapist may not want to engage as much/push you as much until she knows you better. Your new therapist will need to know your history. You can write it if it’s easier or see if your new therapist could talk to your old one (if you signed consent to do so). It’s tough starting with someone else but it can be worth it. It’ll take time. Good luck!

[thistherapylife]

What is the process of switching therapists like? I need to find a new therapist because my current one was a short term solution (so I haven't been seeing her very long). Would the first meeting with a new therapist be similar (like an intake meeting?) or would it all be starting new? Just a little curious on how switching therapists works

I am seeing a therapist through my university, so I only get so many sessions. My therapist will be giving me referrals in the area, I am mostly just wondering how starting at a new therapist works, not so much how to switch (I guess?).

Hi! 

Thanks for following up. The added information is helpful. You started with a therapist and you knew that it would be short term (which makes a difference). Your current therapist is also the one who is going to be giving you referrals - that’s in your favor! 

You will have to go over opening paperwork (which varies in time and amount) and it will probably be similar to what you have done with your current therapist. But I’d (continue - cause you are probably already doing so) talk to your current therapist about both what you are looking for in a therapist and issue/s you primarily looking to address. That way you’ll have a great set of referrals to choose from. You can also sign a release of information between your new therapist and old. With that, your current therapist will be able to speak to the therapist you end up choosing. Which is great because she’ll be able to share some of what you’ve told her with your new therapist. I hope it works out!

[mentalillnessmouse]

i kind of want help like therapy or something but my parents don't take me seriously and there's no one i really trust at school (teachers I mean) and we have school counselors but mine has belittled my feelings and laughed at me before and he makes me really uncomfortable because of that. my doctor has done the same thing as him and now its like no one will take me seriously and idk who to go to :( i feel like im just being stubborn and difficult but

I’m really sensitive and I don’t like hurting people. That being said, how do I change school counsellors without hurting her feelings? My friend has her to and when she complained about her being late, the counsellor got angry at her because the school told her off.

You seem very self-aware for knowing that you want to get help and that you dislike hurting others. It is important to keep in mind though that school counselors are there to help you, and if yours isn’t doing that, you deserve to ask for a different one. Honestly, therapists and guidance counselors are trained and used to handling clients/students not liking them. No one gets along with everyone, and MH professionals definitely understand that. If she gets defensive or gives you a hard time about it, go a step above her and speak to an assistant principal or with another guidance counselor directly about it. Explain that you feel invalidated by your current guidance counselor and you need someone to confide in, and that you are unable to move past previous incidents with them. Speak up for yourself, you deserve to have support while at school. I am going to link you to some info about how to be assertive, which may help when advocating for yourself. 

This is a post with links to various module you can complete to help you assert yourself

Take care,

Ari

[mentalillnessmouse]

Hey¡ I suffer from anxiety and problems with focus and attention, I also have intrusive thougs about suicide and allucinations but my therapist does not think that allucinations are really a problem and I am not getting any medication besides Neupax (fleuoxetine) and for the attention and focus. Do you think that is right to change from therapist?

hey anon, 

if you don’t feel like your therapist is helping you in your path to recovery it’s more than alright to find one who will. 

stay safe, 

kei 

[mental-health-advice]

I feel like my therapist can't help me anymore. I have had her for 4 years now and she have helped me a TON with my ocd and I have only a few obsessive thoughts/compulsions left but I don't feel like she can help me get rid of the last ones, since I don't feel like I have had much improvements the last 6 months or so.. I'm not really sure what to do?

Hello, lovely, First of all, I am so, so, SO proud of you for coming so far! You are doing absolutely amazing, and I know that you can kick these last few compulsions!Your therapist will not be insulted at all if you tell her that you think you should see someone new from now on. Some people help with some things and some don't, that's the nature of, well, life. I think it would be a good idea to just ask for a referral. That way you don't have to go hunting around for another therapist (because I think we both know that they can be hard to find) and, when you do switch, your new therapist will have a better idea of what's going on with you because they'll have talked with your current one. She may ask why you would like to switch, so just answer honestly: she's been a great help to you, but you think that she might not be the best fit to help you get rid of these last bits of your OCD. All she wants is some simple feedback so that she can know if she needs to improve/fix something about what she's doing, she isn't insulted that you want to switch. If you're a minor you should definitely talk to your parents about this before discussing it with your therapist. Ultimately it's your choice, but they should know what is going on. We have a page on self help for OCD here that you should check out.All the best,Alex

[mentalillnessmouse]

I'm thinking about switching to a different psychiatrist because I found some that take my insurance, but I'm kind of nervous about it. I've been seeing both a counselor and a psychiatrist at my campus' health center for a little while, but do most psychiatrists also do talking therapy or is it normal for your therapist and psychiatrist to be two different people? Will it be hard to get used to a new doctor? I'm so new to all of this & my last therapist wasn't very helpful so idk what to expect.

Hey anon, it’s normal to be nervous about switching, but it makes sense to try to find someone who isn’t on campus, as they can provide treatment even after you’re done going to that school.

It is pretty normal to have a therapist separate from your psychiatrist. Most psychiatrists don’t do therapy for insurance and case load reasons. 

It might be hard to get used to a new mental health team, but it can be worth it. Just give it time, and you will get used to them. :)

Best of luck and stay strong,

Rowan

[mentalillnessmouse]

(Urgent) I have to switch both psychiatrist and councilor, which may take a couple of months with pact of how many I can see where I live. I feel like I'm at the end of my rope. No one will take my to a hospital because I feel like I may end it. My mom asked if I needed to go to the hospital, I said yes, then she went off about getting set up with new therapist in a while. It feels like she doesn't really care. Not even my previous doctors cared!

Hey anon, if you are in urgent crisis, please call emergency services immediately. Even if your mom doesn’t want to take you herself, you should be able to go with emergency services, especially if you are a danger to yourself or others. Please get the help you need. You deserve it.

Best of luck and stay strong,

Rowan