My First Session With Trauma Therapist Went Well.

[FindingMyself88]

Ok so I had my first session with my new trauma therapist two hours ago and I really think it went well. We went over some of my past traumas and talked about my anxiety attacks, panic attacks, nightmares, and flashbacks. She believes I have Complex-PTSD instead of just PTSD. We talked about a long term plan of action and short term. Short term is to get to know each other and build trust so that she can know my whole story. Then we are going to work on mindfulness and self-soothing skills. Then eventually she thinks I would benefit from EMDR. I told her I like going to the park, so today her "homework" was to go to the park and try as best as I could to focus just on what was around me to work on mindfulness.

She seems knowledgeable and excited to work with me. I told her about me getting a service dog and she was VERY interested in that. She is going to do more research on it herself and she said she wants to see how it will work in a therapeutic environment. She seemed willing to do her part in helping me.

The only thing that makes me sad is she thinks I need to stop seeing my current therapist. I can see her point and to be honest, after hearing what she can help me with, I know I have topped off with my current T. I've been thinking this for a while because it has pretty much become me just going in there and telling her about my week then leaving. The next couple of weeks she is busy with new clients that she is seeing who will work best with her, so it will be 3 weeks before I can see her again unless she gets a cancellation, which she thinks she will. So in the meantime I signed a release form for her to communicate with my current T and get details of what she has done with me and she wants me to work on finishing up my therapy with my current T. I will still see my current T every couple of months because I get free psychiatry appointments through the school counseling, but it will pretty much be a check up on how I am doing.

So I was nervous for nothing and I am looking forward to starting to work with this new T.

 

[TimeToHeal]

So glad things went well! I'm really happy to hear you are optimistic and looking forward to beginning a new chapter of healing with your new T! :tup:

 

[WillyKat]

Congrats! There aren't words to describe how important your relationship with your therapist is.

Well done!

Time for chocolate! Or whatever suits your fancy.

 

[Justmehere]

This new therapist sounds great! Yay!

 

[FindingMyself88]

Thanks everyone, I do feel like I am on the right track with her! Lol no chocolate for me, but I am going BACK to the park with some friends in just a few minutes, thats better than chocolate to me :)

 

[Notsowild]

@FindingMyself88... So I'm having my first appointment with a trauma therapist tomorrow. Very excited and scared at the same time. Anyways I also have a psychiatrist too. Why did your T not want you to keep your psychiatrist? They do totally different things.

 

[FindingMyself88]

@Notsowild the difference in working with a trauma therapist was obvious in just the intake session. She wants me to keep my psychiatrist, but she wants me to stop seeing my other therapist. The problem is I can't fully stop seeing this other T because she is through the university and I get free psychiatry appointments through her. So I am going to set it up where I only see her every 1-3 months to check in.

I hope your appointment goes well!

 

[Hashi]

Very glad to hear it went well. I like how she picked up on going to the park and your forthcoming service dog. This sounds hopeful indeed!

 

[FindingMyself88]

I do too, she seemed really interested and engaged. My other T was great, but the past 6 months or so I feel like its just going in to talk about my week and she doesn't really seem to engage. She will just ask questions about how I feel. The most we've done in this time frame was when I began having suicidal thoughts, she gave me a distress tolerance sheet that she had given me before and went over it again.

It does finally feel hopeful. In fact she just called me a little while ago and told me she had a cancellation for next week, so I will get in to see her. The week after she doesn't have any openings yet, but we scheduled for the rest of the month.