This is my first time posting on any forum! Thanks in advance for Any replies :)
I saw a "psychologist" today for a psychological assessment for therapy and there's a few things she said that just don't sound right or very professional. Btw I have PTSD, depression and an eating disorder.
First she asked me to go into detail of my childhood sexual abuse (between 6-10 years) and then told me "I don't think that's abuse, the guys were just experimenting and probably fancied you, they never attacked you and it didn't go as far as sex, it's natural for us to be turned on and enjoy sexual things whether we want it or not" ?? at 6 years old I didn't know you could be 'turned on'.... But anyway, the first guy when I was 6 is about 4/5 years older, the second guy when I was between 8-10 is 7 years older than me. Am I over reacting? Is this just experimentation rather than abuse?
At 9/10 years old I was constantly dreaming about rape, abuse (physical and sexual) and incest up until recently, I'm 22 now, the dreams are less frequent at the moment. She asked me "how on earth did you even get those things into your head?" I thought it was obvious because of the abuse, no?
Then she asked me to go into detail about my rape in December 2011. (I've known my rapist for over 10years, so of course I trusted him, rape was the furthest thing from my mind). Then she said "I don't understand why you didn't see the warning signs... and the fact that you didn't even realise you had been raped until you asked someone (I wasn't drunk or anything, I just wasn't clear on the definition of rape especially when it wasn't "a stranger in a dark alley" rape) suggests to me that you only want therapy to validate your experiences, we don't do that, if you want someone to nod in agreement to what you're saying you need to go to counselling, I don't think therapy is going to be right for you" ... I've been to counselling and therapy (cbt) before, I'm well aware of the difference! ... Then she continued to say "but I don't think a counsellor would be able to unpick all this mess" .... Any advice on what I'm supposed to do if I don't "qualify" for therapy but my problems are too complex for counselling? And apparently psychotherapy is definitely not an option for me aswell :/ (I'm not even sure what that is).
She also said "it's really a shame that anti-depressants aren't working for you, because they can really give you a boost etc"... As if to say taking some pills will make everything okay, I'm not against medication at all, but it doesn't treat the underlying issues.
There's more stuff she said but I was so upset I stopped listening. She ended the assessment with "do you still want to be referred for therapy then, or have I put you off" and I said yes, but she defo killed the little positivity and optimism I had about therapy :/
Was she just being brutally honest and I'm just taking it to heart or did she cross the line?
Again thanks for any replies :)
I saw a "psychologist" today for a psychological assessment for therapy and there's a few things she said that just don't sound right or very professional. Btw I have PTSD, depression and an eating disorder.
First she asked me to go into detail of my childhood sexual abuse (between 6-10 years) and then told me "I don't think that's abuse, the guys were just experimenting and probably fancied you, they never attacked you and it didn't go as far as sex, it's natural for us to be turned on and enjoy sexual things whether we want it or not" ?? at 6 years old I didn't know you could be 'turned on'.... But anyway, the first guy when I was 6 is about 4/5 years older, the second guy when I was between 8-10 is 7 years older than me. Am I over reacting? Is this just experimentation rather than abuse?
At 9/10 years old I was constantly dreaming about rape, abuse (physical and sexual) and incest up until recently, I'm 22 now, the dreams are less frequent at the moment. She asked me "how on earth did you even get those things into your head?" I thought it was obvious because of the abuse, no?
Then she asked me to go into detail about my rape in December 2011. (I've known my rapist for over 10years, so of course I trusted him, rape was the furthest thing from my mind). Then she said "I don't understand why you didn't see the warning signs... and the fact that you didn't even realise you had been raped until you asked someone (I wasn't drunk or anything, I just wasn't clear on the definition of rape especially when it wasn't "a stranger in a dark alley" rape) suggests to me that you only want therapy to validate your experiences, we don't do that, if you want someone to nod in agreement to what you're saying you need to go to counselling, I don't think therapy is going to be right for you" ... I've been to counselling and therapy (cbt) before, I'm well aware of the difference! ... Then she continued to say "but I don't think a counsellor would be able to unpick all this mess" .... Any advice on what I'm supposed to do if I don't "qualify" for therapy but my problems are too complex for counselling? And apparently psychotherapy is definitely not an option for me aswell :/ (I'm not even sure what that is).
She also said "it's really a shame that anti-depressants aren't working for you, because they can really give you a boost etc"... As if to say taking some pills will make everything okay, I'm not against medication at all, but it doesn't treat the underlying issues.
There's more stuff she said but I was so upset I stopped listening. She ended the assessment with "do you still want to be referred for therapy then, or have I put you off" and I said yes, but she defo killed the little positivity and optimism I had about therapy :/
Was she just being brutally honest and I'm just taking it to heart or did she cross the line?
Again thanks for any replies :)
