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How detailed was your intake paperwork?

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LittleBigFoot

Policy Enforcement
So I thought I would only be able to afford either my physical health or my mental health, definitely not both. But my work apparently made a mistake that they’re now rectifying which will allow me to have insurance starting August 1st. So with that, I’ve jumped on finding a T. I’ve got it narrowed down to a couple.

One of them has me really uncertain, she sent me paperwork to fill out prior to appointment and it’s . . . intense. There’s a questionairre where not only do you list out traumas but also describe them. Then there’s another section asking about suicide and I get them needing to know if that’s a thing for me but it asks several questions about it including what method I used and how did I survive.

I want to completely veto her and just skip to the next. But is that me just being avoidant? It made me really messed up in my head for a couple hours, like my anxiety ratcheted up so much but is that just something I should be pushing through and just do it? She’s got almost 30 years of experience and wouldn’t that mean she’s plenty competent and I should trust it?
 
I have a habit of taking intake forms fairly literally, and answer questions pretty bluntly.

But, you don't have to. If there's a question you can't fill out, feel uncomfortable about filling out, or would rather speak to the T in person about it (when you're ready, and if you decide to lean towards her rather than the other option), maybe write that instead.

For example: Describe your trauma
I can't write this out in any detail. It happened when I was 12-14. It was sexual. That's the best I can do.
(That's an example using my trauma, rather than yours).

For a therapist who specialises in trauma with 30 years behind them? They'll understand that. Because it's normal that it's hard to disclose, ever, let alone in the clinical coldness of an intake form to a person (and clinic) you've never been to.

And if they don't understand that? Then you probably have your answer as to whether they're a good fit.

From the Ts perspective, they've been listening to, and helping people through, trauma for 30 years. For them, they might as well ask - the more they know going in, the better prepared they are to help. But asking doesn't ever guarantee an automatic response though. Not in therapy. And someone with 30 years experience should understand that.
 
I've had some pretty traumatic intake forms in the past. They would really send me over the edge. One of the worst ones was a list of abuse and they wanted me to circle all the ones that I had done to me. Damn. It would have been easier to circle the ones that did NOT.

Here's the deal, you don't have to answer all of them. You can leave parts or all of some questions blank. Just like Sideways said, the intake form is to help the therapist to help you and see where you're at. Do what's best for you. Do what you can do, what you feel ok with doing. Don't push yourself beyond what you should, and definitely talk to the therapist about it.
 
Great that the change in insurance means you can look for a therapist now.

I pay for my therapy privately and she’s just a solo operation. She’s never given me any form to fill out! I don’t know whether that’s common here (U.K.) or whether she’s just very slack with admin!

There’s always a lot written here on the forum about the importance of doing stabilisation work before diving into trauma in therapy sessions. With that in mind, I personally think lengthy forms that want you to get into detail about traumatic experiences and suicidal thoughts/feelings/attempts
are a bit much and not the most responsible. Especially if the therapist specialises in trauma and their clients are perhaps likely to be starting therapy because they’re dysregulated or in crisis. To me, it just sounds like an unnecessary distressing and potentially triggering and dysregulating exercise to do on your own before you’ve even met the therapist or started work together - or decided if you even want to work together

I know we can choose not to answer questions or to answer very vaguely. But I’d imagine the form still stirs shit up even if we haven’t written it all down.

For me, it would be off-putting.
 
One of the worst ones was a list of abuse and they wanted me to circle all the ones that I had done to me

This one does too, it’s a whole packet of checking off each listed trauma, space to add more, then later down the pages is an area to take each of the checked traumas and describe them. Then comes a whole page on suicide questions.

I get them wanting to have as much information as possible and normally I don’t mind being open. But it just seemed like soooo much for a complete stranger I’ve never met, who knows how many admin (she’s in a big office thing), and on paper that I guarantee won’t have the space to allow me to actually describe the way it seems she wants. Cause nothings just black and white. I guess I could pick and choose what I answer or just go to a different T. But again, that feels like avoidance to me and then my brains like I’m being one of “those” clients that therapists on Reddit complain about not working hard enough. So then I just feel like shit for that on top of all the memories and crappiness the questions alone stirred up. Cause then I’m thinking, do I need to talk about this time? How much detail does she want on that time? Does this count in that category or can I just skip it? This *technically* matches that definition but also that label is extremely harsh and applies to someone else who had it far worse.
😖
 
There’s always a lot written here on the forum about the importance of doing stabilisation work before diving into trauma in therapy sessions.
This.
Personally, I would never fill a form like that. It’s not necessary, and it can be gravely destabilizing. I don’t want stranger to know stuff like that about me. Wanna know what traumatized me? Earn the privilege.

I was treated for 3 yrs in this psych outpatient setting and no-one never asked me what my traumas were. They trusted me to tell them what they needed to know and what I needed to talk about in order to heal. Trauma therapy can very well be initiated without the T knowing any details.
 
I pay for my therapy privately and she’s just a solo operation. She’s never given me any form to fill out! I don’t know whether that’s common here (U.K.) or whether she’s just very slack with admin!
This was my situation, also. But the one before this one was the same, and he worked for an agency and was covered by insurance.
Personally, I would never fill a form like that.
I wouldn't, either. I don't provide that info to anyone upfront. What happened to developing a rapport?
 
I only had one therapist that had forms to fill out. I just didn’t print them and didn’t fill them and didn’t bring them with me. He didn’t say anything. Rather just made me sign some other confidentiality forms etc and we just explored things slowly as we went. Don’t feel like you have to write a lot or any. Maybe for some people it’s helpful to write things out, but if it’s not for you. Don’t do it. Just show up to session and see how it goes. Good luck!
 
This one does too, it’s a whole packet of checking off each listed trauma, space to add more, then later down the pages is an area to take each of the checked traumas and describe them. Then comes a whole page on suicide questions.

I get them wanting to have as much information as possible and normally I don’t mind being open. But it just seemed like soooo much for a complete stranger I’ve never met, who knows how many admin (she’s in a big office thing), and on paper that I guarantee won’t have the space to allow me to actually describe the way it seems she wants. Cause nothings just black and white. I guess I could pick and choose what I answer or just go to a different T. But again, that feels like avoidance to me and then my brains like I’m being one of “those” clients that therapists on Reddit complain about not working hard enough. So then I just feel like shit for that on top of all the memories and crappiness the questions alone stirred up. Cause then I’m thinking, do I need to talk about this time? How much detail does she want on that time? Does this count in that category or can I just skip it? This *technically* matches that definition but also that label is extremely harsh and applies to someone else who had it far worse.
😖
Wow, that's a lot to fill out. If you really want to give this therapist a try, then maybe only fill out a little bit and the rest you can figure out and talk about in therapy. I agree with others on here that it sounds like too much info. As I was reading your post, I was wondering what would be left to talk about if you write it all out ahead of time. And how traumatic will it be for you to read that form, much less actually fill it out?!

Please do what is best for you.
 
Thank you all, I'm still feeling weird and flip floppy about them. I'm not sure what direction I want to go.

I was treated for 3 yrs in this psych outpatient setting and no-one never asked me what my traumas were.

This surprises me actually, how did they allow you to stay? I always feel like I have to answer any and all questions asked of me (in these settings) in its entirety regardless of what I would rather do. I always felt like I had to because that's the only way I could get help. And I would feel pressured, given the setting, to tell them everything even if they don't necessarily ask right out. But they've always asked, so I don't know.
 
The single most detailed intake paperwork I’ve ever done was with an LDS therapist (as missionaries are required/encouraged to attend trauma therapy on their return, it makes sense that the church is looking at traumas possible on 6 continents & wildly different cultures/norms). But I wasn’t given it in advance. It was meant to be done verbally and -come to find- he’d scheduled half his day for it, and loosely blocked the whole day. I was asked Q’s about traumas and details of traumas no one else has EVER asked me, before or since. It was a phenom intake. Best I’ve ever had, bar none. ((Which includes the military one, that’s a few thousand questions, MMPI amongst others.))

From that intake, he (the LDS therapist) also had several follow up “intake” questionnaires… that were meant to be done at home & reviewed in session, but after the first one he declared I was no longer allowed to do multiple choice anything, unproctored. ((Not because I almost always argue with multiple choice answers -although I do- but because a) he found WHAT I was arguing to be far more informative than the test itself & b) the results would be totally skewed if I answered the “closest” to what I actually meant // he’d have me select another answer entirely, based off of our conversation about it.))

So the best of the best aside? The only time I’ve answered intake Q’s “at home” (not really) was in the military. Every other trauma therapist I’ve worked wih has done their intakes in person. The only at home paperwork is admin stuff, not therapy stuff.
 
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