Is a trauma t necessary?

[Deleted member 37474]

I have been with five therapists in the last 7 years or so. I was in therapy quite a bit before that a...

Exactly, my non-trauma T also had a PhD. Maybe, that is why they think they can handle us... they can’t.

 

[UnicornSightings]

I also would like to know how it would be labeled as ptsd if there are no symptoms? Did you used to hav...

Well I don’t know if I said I didn’t have symptoms? Just don’t know if I have “triggers”. I don’t know the list of symptoms by heart but for me, the hypervigilance was and is still there, social anxiety, isolation, anxiety, depression, fear when people argue (like freezing, heart pumping out of my chest), super huge fear of authority like a cop even near me and I’d freak out, feelings of guilt over things that I had no reason to be guilty for, apologizing for basically existing, freezing in other situations like when a door was knocked on someone else’s door. If it was mine, omg I’d freak out and hide! Avoidance of phone calls, avoidance of most anything that wasn’t my apartment and work, paranoia that anyone walking behind me was following me and I’d have to cross the street, and the list goes on. And it’s for sure not that those things are gone, but they’re better. Andy feelings about them are better. They are all tolerable now and I can correct my thoughts and comfort myself. My self-compassion is strong. My wise self is back.

 

[Surfergal]

So in looking at the profile again of the male t I went to see I noticed trauma isn’t listed...

I am currently seeing T a with a Ph.D. Trauma is listed on her website along with about 10 other things. Not sure how one can specialize in so many things but it seems to be a common thing amongst many therapists websites I have come across.

Her Ph.D. had nothing to do with trauma and she doesn't have any specific extra trauma training that I am aware of. That being said it is obvious she keeps up to date with current information. She has already helped me immensely. Sometimes I read stuff and wonder if I would do better with a trauma specialist but that's just my brain wondering if I could get through things faster. I have a good relationship with her and trust her which are also big factors in finding the right therapist.
I like you don't have 'triggers' per say but do experience hypervigilance, emotion dysregulation, numbness, anxiety, fear of authority figures and so on..... I wouldn't rule someone out because they don't specialize in trauma but perhaps would question him about his experience with trauma clients. Trauma is the basis of so many of the issues that people experience today any good therapist should be keeping up to date with the current research and how to use it with clients IMO.

 

[EveHarrington]

Sorry if this is a lame question but what do you mean by non-symptomatic? and why does that mean someone would not...

Non-symptomatic=not having trauma symptoms that affect your daily life.

If you don’t have symptoms, there’s no need for a (salty) specialist. Overkill waste of money.

 

[EveHarrington]

OP it sounds to me like you most definitely have emotional flashbacks.

 

[EveHarrington]

In all honesty, letters behind a name don’t matter.

A PHD isn’t necessarily better than a LCSW.

I have a LCSW and she’s a heck of a lot better than any of the phds I’ve had. She knows her trauma stuff. (Used to work with traumatized kids inpatient.)

 

[Deleted member 8714]

Exactly, my non-trauma T also had a PhD. Maybe, that is why they think they can handle us... they can’t.

I had a man with a PhD for a therapist once. He knew absolutely zip about trauma though he had some great suggestions on how to deal with my abusive family. I used some of them and they helped.

One thing he said to me that told me he didn't know jack about trauma therapy: People go to therapy to be listened to and that's all they need. Okay. Simple yet so wrong. If that's all I needed I wouldn't have integrated my poly-fragmented system of alters. Bull crap! I'd still have hundreds of alters talking up a storm inside my head. So much for his theory.

I saw another therapist before my current T who sidestepped every hot topic I introduced as he wasn't qualified to handle those issues in therapy and, perhaps the biggest part of it, I didn't originally see him for the trauma. I saw him for grief over the loss of my pet. The only problem with that is that the grief was complicated in that I get triggered by death. He should've figured that out and had me see someone else if he wasn't capable of navigating through all of the issues surrounding the death of my dog. But he did not figure things out and actually in the long run his sidestepping hindered my recovery from the grief and triggers of death. After I saw him I backslid further than when I had first seen him.

 

[UnicornSightings]

Thank you guys so much for all your input. It makes me wonder if I should stick with the comfortable t my last t recommended.... And I’m kinda freaking out about maybe I’m so nervous around this guy because something’s up and it’s my intuition saying RUN or if it’s old trauma and I need to stay. I guess it’s better to be safe than sorry? I wish I could tell the difference. And my old t specialized in trauma and I didn’t even look for that. Before her I had no idea what cptsd was! So I really lucked out with her.

 

[user27357]

Some of the best (fastest? most common sense? easily grasped and easily followed?) counseling I have ever had came from a gastroenterologist! But I didn't see him weekly and put the finer edges on some of the harder stuff. That work gets done by my current trauma therapist that has different letters after her name. And in between by some others that had other letters and worked on other aspects.

Earlier I compared different specialties to different languages and therapy to learning a language. Most definitely there are lcsw's out there that speak fluent trauma and Phd's that don't. And there are trauma therapists that speak rape victim and others that speak combat vet, and many that speak both.

Before you lay out the money you worked so hard for, make sure you are hiring an employee that can do the work you need done and will work as hard for your money as you did, bottom line.

I hope you find the right help, it is better when you do.

 

[UnicornSightings]

Some of the best (fastest? most common sense? easily grasped and easily followed?) counseling I have eve...

I really appreciate both of your posts and I love the way you wrote them. Do you write? I hope you do. Anyway I made the decision to go back to school!!! Which is so exciting and severely puts a limit on my budget. The fear fascinates me and until my semester starts I’m gonna stick with the scary guy and see if anything can be learned. He might end up being terrible at “therapatizing” as my last t called it lol!

 

[Deleted member 8714]

I know you weren't addressing me. I write. I'm writing about my abuse in a novel for publishing. Actually I've been writing novels about my abuse for the last seven years though nothing I wanted to publish. That's how got it all out of me. Really helped. It still helps.

 

[UnicornSightings]

I know you weren't addressing me. I write. I'm writing about my abuse in a novel for publishing. Actu...

I wish I could love this comment like on fb. That is awesome!!! I’m so glad you found your outlet!