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Quit therapy?

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whiteraven

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So...I've been in therapy (it feels like) all my life. Several different therapists, some I stayed with a long while, some just for a session or two. I am currently in treatment with a wonderful therapist who is also a Zen priest and mindfulness teacher.

I really like R. He's kind, gentle in his approach, doesn't force anything that feels unsafe and uncomfortable, accepts my DID, and is trained in and teaches Cognitive Processing Therapy, ACT, DBT, CBT, and a whole host of other stuff.

I've not been to see him in more than a couple of months. Most of that is because he was traveling and not available, but I cancelled a couple of sessions (very unusual for me) because I was angry: he told me about needing to be gone to teach around the country (which he does every week, but he's always available for my appointment) at the very last minute (something we talked about a few years ago - he promised he would always give me sufficient notice, because I have huge issues with abandonment in therapists) because he "forgot." Also, he had said he would be more available (text, email, phone) after we started the CPT and, if anything, he has been less available, so I feel like I'm dealing with the really hard stuff alone.

He is stretched. He does a LOT of stuff. He told me in an email a month or so ago that he realized that and, since his classes were being cut back, after mid-January his load would be much lighter. I was supposed to go today (but not next week, because he's traveling ?), but I cancelled because I'm not feeling...safe is the only word I can come up with. I think there is still some anger and not being sure of him.

I've been thinking about quitting therapy. It's been hard the last couple of months, but better I think. I get that when you're not working through stuff, there is not as much upheaval, and that might be part of the case here. I've been able to get more done, although I'm still having to push through everything and still feel like none of it matters.

I just don't know how to work through this. Because of past problems with therapists and because I don't want to have to go through my very complicated history again with someone, I don't want to seek out another therapist. I really would like to work through this, but I need a different approach because what I've tried hasn't been working.
 
Could you email him and share your feelings? How it makes you feel unsafe and whether he has any suggestions?

Interpersonal trauma leaves us with attachment difficulties, and sometimes I know even holding awareness of this doesn’t make it any easier when the therapeutic relationship reflects our early attachment relationships to our supposed caregivers.

You say that you haven’t seen him in a while so it sounds quite natural for things to go cold, it’s okay to gradually build up trust again, it’s part of the process.

Be kind to yourself, we were chronically traumatised, it’s amazing we can even consider being around people never mind allowing ourselves to be vulnerable around them and seek treatment.
 
Could you email him and share your feelings? How it makes you feel unsafe and whether he has any suggestions?

I have. A number of times. And he says he's sorry and he will keep trying. We've tried a lot of things, but I have trouble sticking with anything.

You say that you haven’t seen him in a while so it sounds quite natural for things to go cold, it’s okay to gradually build up trust again, it’s part of the process.

This started awhile ago, before I stopped going.
 
Can you have phone or video sessions while he is traveling so you can maintain your connection?

We used to do email. And that worked. It helped me stay connected during times when things were hard. But he mostly doesn't reply anymore. Even after he said he would be more available, he stopped. I said something about it and he just keeps saying he's super busy and he knows he needs to do better at staying connected.
 
My two cents:

You are realizing the limitation of another human. He is good but can only give you so much. Even our great mothers could not give us everything we wanted when we wanted and how we wanted. You are not giving him that reparation and that is one area you may want to focus on healing and containing in yourself - you said he is a great therapist so it is worth you return that and see him as also a human who has other needs and works.

the second one is your abandonment (that is showing up as anger now). Tell him this and start to process and work through the abandonment. I am not sure you can afford to just say I have abandonment issues. OK. What are you doing about that? Maybe time has come to also work through this and it is my arm chair analysis ((-:...that maybe all these are happening for you to finally start to elevate yourself from victim to a functional client and show what you learn from him in action.
 
you said he is a great therapist so it is worth you return that and see him as also a human who has other needs and works.

Ok, but not sure how I'm doing this? If anything, I take his needs and the fact that he has a life into a lot more consideration than I do with most anybody. I recognize he has other stuff going on; I just believe that if you tell someone you'll do something, you should follow-through.

Can you have phone or video sessions while he is traveling so you can maintain your connection?

Not sure. I can ask. But if he'd just occasionally reply to my email that would be enough.
 
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