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pennswoodsI need to go to therapy. It was a task I set for myself to work on when I turned 50 that sort of got sidelined with that whole breast health situation that began after Christmas. I have made it a task for myself to accomplish this summer and have spent several hours this week weeding through and compiling a list of possible therapists based on several criteria I have. I have a spreadsheet of 26 with pros and cons listed, which I will dig into a little further before I begin reaching out.
I am very intimidated by the process of meeting therapists and finding one that is a good fit. I have had both exceptional and barely adequate relationships with therapists or counselors in the past. Some of this has been due to linguistic issues (my Swedish was not strong enough and their English was not strong enough). In other cases, I lost trust when religion or spirituality was invoked as part of the process - I shut down around religion, even when it is not Christianity, so I have eliminated all therapists who directly or indirectly reference religion or spirituality in photos or the description of their practice.
I have reached out to a few friends to ask for advice finding a therapist and they have given a few practical ones:
1. See if they have a testing session so I can find out if we vibe.
2. Find out if they can be available in a day or two when there is a crisis.
3. Consider finding someone who works with the LGBTQ+ community and has experience with some of my sexual abuse issues and ask if they are willing to take someone who is not LGBTQ+.
I thought I would reach out here in case there are other tips people might have about the process of finding a therapist that fits. Any advice welcome.
I am very intimidated by the process of meeting therapists and finding one that is a good fit. I have had both exceptional and barely adequate relationships with therapists or counselors in the past. Some of this has been due to linguistic issues (my Swedish was not strong enough and their English was not strong enough). In other cases, I lost trust when religion or spirituality was invoked as part of the process - I shut down around religion, even when it is not Christianity, so I have eliminated all therapists who directly or indirectly reference religion or spirituality in photos or the description of their practice.
I have reached out to a few friends to ask for advice finding a therapist and they have given a few practical ones:
1. See if they have a testing session so I can find out if we vibe.
2. Find out if they can be available in a day or two when there is a crisis.
3. Consider finding someone who works with the LGBTQ+ community and has experience with some of my sexual abuse issues and ask if they are willing to take someone who is not LGBTQ+.
I thought I would reach out here in case there are other tips people might have about the process of finding a therapist that fits. Any advice welcome.
no subject
Date: 2024-06-06 07:29 pm (UTC)