Somatic Trauma Therapy - Not Good Experience

[canucklady]

So my T wanted to try somatic experiencing. I was alright at first. I was relaxed and feeling fine, but my body was feeling numb. My T wanted me to become more aware of what was feeling. So tried to be more focused in what I was feeling. Then my left arm starting aching and stomach felt as if was being kicked in stomach. T tried to get me to safe and I since it was end of session and didnt want to make her late told her was fine.

I was trembling after appt and when got back home had terrible flashbacks and nightmares.

The worse thing is somatic experiencing was supposed to be easier therapy and T was excited about it.

Now feel like shattered her hopes about this therapy

 

[SimplyComplex]

therapy isn't about your t, its about you. Dont be afraid to be honest. We are teaching them as much as they are helping us.

 

[Hashi]

I'm sorry, that sounds horrible.

I think SimplyComplex has made an important point. In fact, any good T would want you to focus on yourself and what will help you, not on him/her.

If your T misjudged the time, then needing more is not your fault. Safety is really important.

 

[Starfish52]

I've also had both Cranio and Somatic Experiencing and I advise anyone to make sure the therapist they see is competent and professional. The actual SE therapy is amazing, in fact it's miraculous but sadly I've had some bad experiences with SE practitioners. In contrast my Cranio therapist is someone I feel totally safe with and can trust his integrity and clear boundaries. Recently I've had yet another bad experience with an SE therapist. This woman has been very inconsistent with time and I never quite know when the session's going to end. I wouldn't mind but one of the things she said right at the beginning was that I could trust her to hold the space! In one session I was discussing someone I was having difficulty with and she said I wouldn't be the first person to find say this, I was shocked and seems she obviously knew who I'd been talking about, she then went on to say how rude she thought that person was etc...I found that too weird. Then last week she asked me to return some trauma cards on a key ring that she'd apparently lent me, I have absolutely no memory of this and didn't know what she what talking about. Nevertheless I was open to the idea that maybe I'd forgotten whilst she was adamant that I had it and asked me once I find it to bring it back, this all happened at the beginning of the session and I felt awful, like I'd done something wrong. After going through some sensitive issues in our therapy I became upset and asked her about this thing I'd apparently borrowed which I had no memory of at all. I felt like I was going mad. She then went on about how women at a certain age easily forget things and then said that not to worry because in the end people are more important than things. I felt very uncomfortable with that last statement and I'm going to talk with her next week. Since then I've been crying and back into being more activated. I cancelled my session tomorrow as I can't face her and am going to see the Cranio instead because I know I'm safe there. So far I've seen 4 SE therapists and they've all had really wacky boundaries and said some pretty off the wall stuff.