Welcome Guest Login or Signup
FLASHCHAT | INSTANT MESSENGER | BOOKMARK
| LANGUAGE:

Social Anxiety Friends will be closing on Nov 29th
 

feralcat
PROFILE   GALLERY   BLOGS   GUESTBOOK   FRIENDS   FAVORITES   VIDEOS  
 


RSS
I fired my therapist
Posted On: 05/08/2008 07:46:04

I fired my therapist today. I've been with him for 11 months. In the begining I saw some progress, mainly because I didn't want to keep going to him each appointment and tell him I hadn't done anything. So I was able to get involved in a church group and actually introduce myself to people and have conversation.

But after those first few months my progress has completely stalled. I still have exactly zero friends. And I really didn't feel my therapist was giving me any kind of guidance.

I also became concerned about the direction he was going in our last couple of sessions. When I first came to him, he told me that he was all about results and that he didn't dwell on things that happened in childhood. But in the last couple of session, he slipped into the "your parents didn't do a good  job, you need to nuture your inner child" thing--I'm really not interested in wasting my time in that manner.

So I called him today and told him I've decided not to see him anymore. I was surprised by how readily he accepted it and how eager he seemed to end the phone call. I wanted to tell him that I did appreciate everything he had done for me and that I liked him a lot personally, but he never really gave me that chance. Strange. I guess I really don't have "closure" about my relationship with him (to use a stupid therapeutic word!).

Oh, well, I guess I now have to look for a new therapist. On Sunday night I left a message for a clinic near me that says they specialize in issues of shyness and social anxiety. However, they never gave me a call back!! And they don't have any way of contacting them by email. You would think that some place that says they specialize in treating those with shyness and SA would realize that calling on the phone is not always the easiest thing for us!

So I'm not sure if I will either call that clinic again or try to contact another therapist who says she specializes in SA issues.



Bookmark:



Viewing 1 - 3 out of 3 Comments

From: ASheyeGeye
05/09/2008 02:28:07
It sounds like you made a good decision.  Finding the right therapist, someone that knows what they're doing, and whose approach suits you, is a difficult thing to do.  As for whether or not you continue on with the current clinic you tried to contact, I suppose that depends on the availability of SA specialists in your area.  If you have plenty of options avaialable, maybe try somewhere else.  If not, give the clinic another call.  I hope things work out for you.


From: TAMPABAY
05/08/2008 10:02:41
I agree with spring. People like us tend to be too loyal. I had a simalar problem with my doctor too. I told him I had anxiety and his answer was the last straw that made me realize that this guy didnt know what the heck he was doing.


From: spring37
05/08/2008 09:27:34

That's good that you were able to fire him, if he wasn't helping you.  You might be reading too much into the two calls though.  Maybe, the therapist didn't want to make you uncomfortable by keeping you on the phone, or he had an appointment coming in.  It could have been just a normal "break up" call.  How many times have you fired a therapist? What is the right way to do it anyway?  Sounds like you did fine.

I think that you should try the place that specializes in social anxiety too.  Just because some secretary misplaced a message, I don't think that should dismiss the whole office.  If you don't feel right about the place after see the therapist, then I wouldn't go back.  It is worth a shot.  If it works, I can drive there on my vacation too!  Tongue out  Good luck.  You would think that a social anxiety clinic would be a little more sharper about calling people back though!  Many of us would only be able to get the nerve to call up once.

Take Care,

John 




©Social Anxiety Friends ™ 2007, 2008

ICRA