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Considering going back to therapy

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Star76

Hiya,

So I have been out of therapy for 18 months. The reason why I left was because my therapist broke confidentiality in the biggest way possible she was spoken to by various agency’s about this and is (as far as I know) no longer practicing.

I still have lots of unresolved issues and trauma that needs to be dealt with but it will be difficult to go back and to trust a therapist when the trust was broken so badly with my old one. My other reservation about going back to a new therapist is that currently I am “coping” and I don’t want therapy to destabilise me especially as I am moving into my last year at university. However on the other hand I think it will be good to deal with the trauma before I enter the real world and am no longer enclosed into the bubble of university life.

Would really appreciate another persons input

Thanks x
 
Strongly pro-therapy - with a stronger bias towards CBT and behavioral therapy. We can't fix the past, only our reactions to it.

One therapist's unprofessional conduct does not predict another's. Mine have been perfectly well-behaved (if varying degrees of competence). And the extension of trust is, it itself, therapeutic. It's good practice for us. Hard, sometimes (all the times), but important.

Be careful of delaying. There won't be a 'good' time to go back to therapy, because it could always disrupt something. After university there's that job-search and first year of work - after that, there's the second year of work and trying for promotion - after that, there's something else that doesn't want to be disturbed. Better to start as early as possible, and ease into it.
 
I’m sorry your previous therapist broke your trust like that. Do know there are a lot of therapists out there who can be trusted. It’s just a matter of finding one of them that is also trained, competent, and you mesh well with.

Yes, therapy is hard. A good therapist can help to minimize the disruption to your life though by pacing treatment, teaching you good coping skills, and stuff like that.
 
However on the other hand I think it will be good to deal with the trauma before I enter the real world and am no longer enclosed into the bubble of university life.
I think that makes sense... it’s a lot easier -most of the time- to lighten your courseload and move your grad date 6-12 months than it is to cut your work hours in half and still pay your bills. Plus you’d have the continuity/stability of same living space, same schedule (roughly), same everything else going on.

* Clearly, if you’re in a competitive program that doesn’t let anyone reduce their courseload for any reason, ever (not a lot of those program out there, but they do exist; schools of nursing & medicine? I’m looking at YOU ) ... getting kicked out of your program, or a massive grade fall screwing up your ability to get into your graduate program or following internship? Would indicate waiting until you graduate, and set up your new life all nice and stable for at least 6months or so to be the better option. Especially as you can plan in advance & rent lower / work fewer hours/ etc. all in prep for absorbing the blow of doing trauma therapy than if you were suddenly just caught out symptom wise and having to scramble.
 
First I am excited for you to be graduating and accomplishing a great deal even under the circumstances of trouble therapy experience.
Yes therapy is hard but it is our attitude toward the process that determines our outcome. Even after your trust was broken, you had the resilioto kerp going.
Rather seeing and preparing for becoming unstable, you can look at it as being curious about you and learning new skills to HP you cultivate relationship and new work environment. I hope, One bad break up with former therpist does not scar you for life.
All the best to you in your endeavors.
 
I still have lots of unresolved issues and trauma that needs to be dealt with but it will be difficult to go back and to trust a therapist when the trust was broken so badly with my old one. My other reservation about going back to a new therapist is that currently I am “coping” and I don’t want therapy to destabilise me especially as I am moving into my last year at university. However on the other hand I think it will be good to deal with the trauma before I enter the real world and am no longer enclosed into the bubble of university life.
I think these are great points to bring up, when you are talking with possible therapists - what their thoughts are on meeting these challenges.

In my opinion - trust can be built, and you're smart to want to address things now, while you have that university 'buffer' around you.

Would you be able to go to a 1/2 load, or delay graduation, if you needed to slow down your course load?

You may want to look at therapists who do not remind you of your previous one (physically).
 
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