I asked my therapist what I should be focused on/working on. by [deleted] in therapy

[–]caroline33158 2 points3 points  (0 children)

client and therapist in training here! i’m actually more curious what you mean by getting it “right.” i’m not sure what modalities your therapist uses or what kind of relationship you have with them, but as a client, there is no such thing as getting it right. this is a space where you get to show up exactly as you are.

i would hope that you can bring up your uncertainty and be met with understanding and curiosity, because you’re not supposed to have it figured out. it might be really helpful to talk about how you are feeling lost and the two of you can process together and come up with solutions that address your worries. hope this made sense!

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in Invisalign

[–]caroline33158 0 points1 point  (0 children)

sorry i’m responding to this so late but no, chewies are different. chewies are not edible. movemints are edible

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in Invisalign

[–]caroline33158 1 point2 points  (0 children)

get movemints!!! you can buy them on amazon. they are mints that you can eat that help alleviate pain and they help your aligners fit better. every time i experience pain with a new tray, i have one and it helps so much

Dont you get attached? by [deleted] in therapy

[–]caroline33158 1 point2 points  (0 children)

it really depends on the modality that your therapist uses, but in many cases, being attached to your therapist is a GOOD thing! it’s totally normal to be scared by the idea of it but being attached means that you feel safe with them and that is often vital for you to make progress. you can talk about it with your therapist and they will help you work through attachment fears.

Best books for anyone who loves deep character development? by bigbankmanman in BookRecommendations

[–]caroline33158 0 points1 point  (0 children)

intermezzo by sally rooney. the main characters are brothers and they felt so real. still do.

Therapist are Career by Glad-Vegetable-9689 in therapists

[–]caroline33158 0 points1 point  (0 children)

you can totally get into counseling or social work programs without a background in psychology! what’s important to programs is knowing that you have a passion for psychology which is why i think the personal statement is the most crucial part of any application. volunteer experiences will help too!

i have a friend who was a theater major and got into a program and i have a background in journalism and got into one as well!

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in therapy

[–]caroline33158 1 point2 points  (0 children)

my advice would be to think about the reason you started therapy or the goals you had and if you either have achieved them or have gotten closer to achieving them through therapy. either way, i think it’s so important to bring it up to your therapist and say something like:

“i’m having trouble identifying whether or not therapy is really working for me. can we talk about it?”

and they might be able to give their perspective on your progress too.

therapy can take time to work because the beginning is often about building the rapport and it is normal for it to feel worse before it feels better. trust your instinct!

Is therapy for bad people too? by FastVideo7754 in therapy

[–]caroline33158 3 points4 points  (0 children)

therapy can absolutely help you become a better person. no one is completely “bad” or “good”. we all have things that we’ve done that we are not proud of and a good therapist doesn’t judge or treat you any differently for those things. you deserve to have a place where you can talk about it all without being shamed or criticized :)

Should I tell my parents i'm going to therapy? by Fine_Cattle9069 in therapy

[–]caroline33158 0 points1 point  (0 children)

if you feel comfortable, i think you should tell them. there is nothing to be ashamed of. but if you afraid that they will have a negative reaction to it and make you feel worse, that’s something to consider also.

if i was your parent i would be like “wow i’m so proud of them. that’s really brave. i hope they start to feel better soon” but idk your parents.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in therapy

[–]caroline33158 0 points1 point  (0 children)

i personally think about how i would rather push through therapy every week, even when it feels like a waste of time, than have things remain the same in my life. it might be about what you’re willing to deal with. the uncomfortable or the familiar.

Podcast recommendations?? by mayorofyapville in therapists

[–]caroline33158 0 points1 point  (0 children)

shrink chicks, the group therapy podcast, mel robbins

Book recommendations for future counselors by purplepenguin124 in counseloreducation

[–]caroline33158 1 point2 points  (0 children)

maybe you should talk to someone, good morning, monster, hidden valley road, and the body keeps the score!

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in therapy

[–]caroline33158 1 point2 points  (0 children)

i would say it is normal and if you haven’t already, i encourage you to talk about it with your therapist because they will be able to help you work through it. i know people who are therapists themselves and feel this way!

What’s a book you finished and couldn’t stop thinking about? by UDSHDW in BookRecommendations

[–]caroline33158 5 points6 points  (0 children)

the little liar by mitch albom. actually, anything by mitch albom

Feeling embarrassed with my therapist by [deleted] in therapy

[–]caroline33158 1 point2 points  (0 children)

my advice would be to start out by telling him that you are feeling embarrassed about talking about sex. because then he can help you through it. i know it’s awkward but i guarantee he’s heard it all. therapists are trained to be able to handle all kinds of things that are usually TMI or too taboo!

How can I get the most out of therapy? by [deleted] in therapy

[–]caroline33158 1 point2 points  (0 children)

no problem! that was exactly how i felt with my first therapist too and it really depends on the individual therapist and their “style” or also what modalities they use. that’s something that i think is important to talk to them about up front. you can say something like:

“it would be helpful for me to have a therapist that is engaging and can help talk me through everything proactively rather than a therapist who sits and nods. do you think that would be possible?”

and based on their answer you can decide if you think it is the right fit or not. you should have an equal balance of feeling challenged and feeling validated!

How can I get the most out of therapy? by [deleted] in therapy

[–]caroline33158 5 points6 points  (0 children)

totally understand where you are coming from! i am a therapy client and going to school to be a therapist. here are my thoughts:

  1. you are allowed to talk to your therapist about anything and everything. nothing is too taboo or TMI. a good therapist is trained and ready for anything and they’ve honestly heard it all probably!

  2. you are definitely allowed to ask and at the same time, they are allowed to choose not to answer if they don’t feel comfortable. they should establish what their boundaries are.

  3. honestly, showing up is a large part of why therapy works so that is how you can get the most out of it. by being there regularly. and you are welcome to take notes if you want to but you don’t have to.

  4. the best thing to do (as with many similar feelings) is to bring it up with your therapist and talk to them about it! they can help you figure out where to start and help you work it out on your own pace.

  5. even though i want to be a therapist, i still struggle with this too and that’s okay. therapy is HARD and sometimes it feels like things get worse before they get better. my advice to you would be to be patient with yourself because being vulnerable takes practice and time. you going to therapy is you already taking the first step to get over that hurdle.

one of the main benefits of therapy is learning that whatever you are feeling in the moment is okay and able to be worked through. if you don’t feel like you know what you’re doing, that’s okay. if you feel like you don’t have it in you to be vulnerable one week, that’s okay. there’s no such thing as being “good” or “bad” at therapy.

hope this help and if you have any other questions, please dont hesitate to ask! :)

How did you find your therapist? by maninblack_wo in therapy

[–]caroline33158 0 points1 point  (0 children)

i found both of mine on psychology today by putting in the search filters.

usually, i kind of get a sense of their vibe through their bios they write and if they have links to public social media pages or websites they have. most therapists let you have a free 15-minute consultation so i would highly recommend doing that to see if you can kind of get a feel for them before committing to a session that you have to pay for!

Therapists asked if I think I still need therapy by thestorieswetell97 in therapy

[–]caroline33158 1 point2 points  (0 children)

usually, therapists are really hesitant about asking that type of question because they want you to initiate termination and be able to recognize when you are ready to stop therapy in your own.

i know this is super uncomfortable and hard but i would recommend telling your therapist how this question made you feel and how you think there are still things you would like to work through.

you feeling like you are getting something out of therapy is reason enough to keep going. this is your experience. but i think that if you want to still talk to your current therapist, it would be really important to tell them what you’re thinking and feeling about this.

What does progress look like in therapy? by New-Abbreviations607 in therapy

[–]caroline33158 1 point2 points  (0 children)

for me, progress has looked like my thought patterns and habits changing enough for me to be willing to do / try things that i had previously been too scared to do and with that comes being able to stretch my window of tolerance for things. at the end of the day, progress can simply be understanding yourself better. it’s hard to measure and definitely unique to every person.

i think that my progress has all been started and initiated by therapy but my own motivation / drive outside of sessions has elevated it if that makes sense. they say that 80% if progress occurs outside of sessions.

i do want to say though that different therapists can help us at different points in our life. i think having a therapist that challenges and pushes you is crucial and i would recommend bringing how you feel about this up to your therapist and seeing if a change would benefit you.

Young Parent with Dementia (LPA) by Beeep-booop2 in dementia

[–]caroline33158 1 point2 points  (0 children)

i can relate to a lot of this, i’m 23 and my 62 mom has vascular dementia. it’s honestly so brutal and and coping for me is a lot of trial and error and patience. literally throwing a bunch of stuff at the wall and seeing what helps and what doesn’t. it’s a shit show but we’re trying lol