Who is in therapy, who enjoys it?

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Sorry if this has already been done, I'm quite new here.

Who here is in therapy, or has been in therapy? What experiences have you had? Has it been a positive thing for you?

Myself, I am in therapy currently, and I have been earlier in my life. I have found it quite helpful, except that time I had I was in therapy about five years ago, man, what an a***hole.

I had therapy about six years ago over some anger issues. I found it helpful.

I've been in and out of therapy for the last 20 years. I wouldn't say I enjoy it or I don't enjoy it. I have found it to be generally beneficial. Based on other people's experiences, I think I've had some pretty good therapists. I started therapy again shortly after Starb's death. I had been thinking about it since I found out about AS a couple of years ago. That was a catalyzing event.

therapy had helped me get a deeper sense of self. It has also helped me to come to terms with my childhood trauma and the subsequent dysfunctional relationships that have ensued.

My dx with Av has been perhaps the best 'therapy' in that I now feel deeply affirmed and validated and as a result feel I have my humanity back.

Therapy gave me the skills to greet the world, my dx gave me the strength to give myself permission to tell the world where to get off.

Therapy gave me the skills to greet the world, my dx gave me the strength to give myself permission to tell the world where to get off.[/quote]


well said

I'm never comfortable with therapists.

I never have the opportunity to go to therapy. I think it would be pretty uncomfortable. I like to think chatting on WP is a form of therapy

This website is my thearapy. I don't really need much more.

This website is my therapy, and so is Dr. Duncan, he understands a lot about me... though one big thing he doesn't understand!

I see a therapist, we don't get anywhere though.

She should just order me an emotional support cat.

Yes I saw a psychologist for a year and a half. She was very good and was the first person to mention Asperger's. I guess I was quite lucky. At first I was annoyed because I saw some therapist for an evaluation and at the end she said she didn't feel she was qualified to deal with me ( as if ) and referred me to the shrink. So it work out in the end.

I'm thinking of going back because with me trying various new drugs it is difficult not to get frustrated with progress.

It can sometimes be quite enjoyable. You do feel quite good when you archive something you hadn't be able to do before. The main thing is we actually reached the objective of what I wanted to work on at the beginning. She also help with with something that never occurred to me such as the eye contact excersises.

I would recommend anyone thinking of going to therapy to research the different types of therapies available, and pick the one that would most suit you. Mine used a mixture. She did a bit of psychodynamic, CBT/practical stuff and various other things. None of it was 'how does that make you feel?'. She adapted the therapy when she realized it wasn't working instead of beating a dead horse.

Don't just turn up and expect them to solve all you problems. Ask them what it is they do and what their experience of dealing similar problems. Also therapist and psychologist should be chartered make sure you confirm their credentials.
If you are in the uk you can use this to help find a psychologist:
http://www.bps.org.uk/e-services/find-a ... index$.cfm

You might not find the right one first time. There is nothing wrong with getting rid of one that is not helping. I know in my friend’s case there was one that was one that would take advantage of him and was more or less trying to con him, but it took my friend a while to stand up to this guy.

I'm currently in therapy, but it has just recently started so I don't know if it's helping yet. I had a terrible experience with therapy several years ago.

I've been seeing a therapist for a while now and it has been helpful. It only works if you're ready for it and not in denial.

Oh, I'm totally ready for it and not in denial...finally.

I've found much help in therapy. Therapy only works if you cooperate. A therapist doesn't perform miracles, and can't solve your problems for you, but a therapist can help you solve the problems.

OOOOOhhhh, I feel like writing! LOTS!

My first realization that I needed a therapist was sometime before I was 12 (we moved from the town I was in then).
My mom had just finished banging my head (using my ears as handles) against the wall outside my bedroom, I was hyperventilating and as I stood there struggling to breath she asked me, "Do I need to take you to a psychologist?"... single parenting at it's finest!

I never went to one while at home, though.

My first face-to-face encounter with someone I thought was very experienced in psychology was with my high school psychology class teacher.
It was a fun class as far as I can remember, but he let me take some out-dated psych test just for fun once.
I was to divide a piece of paper into 9 or 12 squares and follow instructions to draw things in each square.
One was to draw a person... I drew a face... there was something significant about it, but I don't recall what.
Another was to draw a tree.. I drew one with a huge knot in the trunk... I seem to recall that being interpreted as something to do with vaginas or my mother
On his evaluation, he checked something about homosexual(put a question mark beside it I think... I still have it but the paper is put away somewhere, or else I'd get it now).

Seeing as how I had struggled with my gender identity and sexuality my entire life, this did not help me at all.
I obsessed over this piece of paper for many years after.

The first REAL psychologist/psychiatrist I met was for my discharge from the army.
He had me do the MMPI, we talked about my dad rejecting me, and I cried a bit.
I have no idea what his report said about me, but I did finally get my HONORABLE Discharge from the U.S.Army.

The next person I saw was in Austin, Texas. I was feeling really down and confused about myself... wait... how is that any different from the other years? ... and somehow I found this lady. The first time I saw her and handed out my life story, she grabbed her 'script pad and offered me a prescription for Lithium... as I recall.
I declined (I was too scared to take any drugs), left and never returned.
That was in the early 80's.

It wasn't until the 90's that I really had some fun. I moved with my soon-to-be-wife to Oklahoma and went to see a guy who did hypnotherapy. I'd drop my head, sit upright in the chair, and listen while he talked to me in monotone voice (no... he wasn't an Aspy! ). He'd ask me to raise one hand if ... blah, blah, blah...
I saw him maybe two times? Then I never went back.
We moved to Alaska shortly after that.
As I struggled through classes at UAF, and dealt with my life-long issues, I finally decided to seek help.
I started seeing a therapist at school.
She was young, kind, intelligent, beautiful... AND I LOVED HER!

And so began many years of sexual fantasies about my therapists!

I really enjoyed going to see her and talking with her. It's not just that I was in love...er... lust... ... but I was really trying to make myself get better. My marriage was feeling pretty rocky then, I couldn't make it through a whole semester without dropping several classes and/or failing a few more.

It was during this time I went to see the Psych at Ft. Wainwright for my first ADD/HD eval. (I did not harbor any fantasies about the old guy I was primarily seeing for that... but... his Lt. assistant! ... pretty cute! And she did all the testing! )

After we left Alaska for California, I still had no positive outcome for all the years of schooling at UAF, I still had not resolved any personal issues, and we basically forgot about my ADD/HD.

CALIFORNIA! The land of fruits & nuts! ... oh how I belonged here!

Let's see... moved here in '96, started seeing someone probably shortly after that.
I think the first one I saw was a British ex-pat who did some funny sort of physical-motion based therapy.
Sometimes I'd sit on the floor and talk with him, other times I'd lie on the floor and bounce up-and-down while making noises.
His name was Peter but I always seemed to call him by some other name. He thought my hang-ups regarding sex and gender as well as my fantasizing about him (which I revealed and he politely and wisely turned away) probably kept me from using the name Peter (which in the U.S. substitutes or Penis). Who knows?

I eventually dropped him after several months (or more?).

Sometime after that I met Cathy. I have been with her for maybe three years or so now.
I think I actually got my second ADD/HD diagnosis before I started seeing her... but I'm not sure.
I like her, although sometimes I think she's too easy on me. Perhaps she should just make me take off all my clothes, lie on the floor and let her have her way with me... OOOPS... sorry... yeah I think she's pretty too!
But I don't really fantasize about her the way I have others

So with her, and the lady who gave me ADD , I have also seen:

-Barbara for marriage counseling (several sessions to include my gender-issues revelation to my wife . Stopped after several couples and single sessions)
-Jessica for family counseling (a couple of times, pretty much about child issues in regards to the divorce)
-Melinda for gender/sexuality issues, and she helped us start the local transgender group. Haven't been seeing her for a year and a half or so.
-Irv who prescribed my meds for ADD/HD
-LouAnn who is the woman I currently see about my gender/sexuality stuff and for the first time I feel like I am making progress! HURRAY!


I also saw a gal who calls herself a Professional Sensualist. Same thing as a Sexual Surrogate in other areas of the country.

I really feel cheated that I never got to experience scream-therapy since I did it on my own for so much of my life!LOL

Well, there's the whole sorted affair of wsmac's mental history! More than you ever wanted to know! I just couldn't help myself!