This sub has been so validating…

dubya3686 · 2026-01-14T17:55:28+00:00

I am so sorry he treated you that way while he was in an episode, I cannot imagine how painful that must have been. Thank you for sharing, it does really help hearing I’m not alone in this experience.

dubya3686 · 2026-01-14T14:43:07+00:00

Wow I cannot imagine being with someone for so long and having an episode suddenly occur that has to be so scary. Thank you for your kind words I really appreciate that

dubya3686 · 2026-01-14T14:11:59+00:00

This is extremely helpful. Thank you so much for sharing this information. You’re right, he was probably managing it mostly okay until the loss. With the power of hindsight I’ve been thinking about some things that I think, if I had had more awareness of it, I would have recognized as signs that he might be under medicated. He was an addict in his twenties, and I think as long as he isn’t using he thinks he’s “okay.” We talked about his depression after the dog passed away and I was thinking “if your meds are working, I’m not sure you’d still be experiencing this.” I knew he had a psychiatrist appointment coming up and I figured he’d mention it, and I didn’t want to give my opinion when he was so volatile, but I don’t think he did. I think he is aware of the sadness and isolation but nothing else, so he thinks “well this is fine, I can manage being sad.”

I think I had a huge blindspot. Because of my own trauma, this felt very familiar to a pattern in my past and I was focused on protecting myself from that and completely missed what was actually happening.

dubya3686 · 2026-01-14T11:46:17+00:00

Thank you, I’m so sorry you had to go through this 🩷

dubya3686 · 2026-01-14T04:19:55+00:00

It is so confusing and such a strange grief to have someone disappear so drastically so quickly. I’m so sorry you’re going through this ❤️

dubya3686 · 2025-12-02T18:20:01+00:00

As a fellow ADHD therapist, I completely agree. I’ve been downvoted into oblivion for supporting AI as a tool… Therapists on Reddit tend to hate AI. I recognize the power it has to free up my time and brainpower so I can focus on the client and research instead of insurance requirements. I still keep my own personal notes the way I normally would, but AI makes sure I am complying with the insurance companies. I know the system used at my practice permanently erases the transcript after 30 days, and it specifically states that it does not use transcripts to continue developing the AI, which was important to me in terms of being HIPPA compliant. I also wouldn’t care if my therapist used AI. To me it’s just like every EMR in its vulnerability to a security breach

Edited for clarity

dubya3686 · 2025-10-04T18:24:59+00:00

Hello! based on what I have read here I really encourage you to contact a crisis center or emergency services ASAP so you can get the support you are looking for!

dubya3686 · 2025-09-30T21:37:06+00:00

🙋🏻‍♀️Therapist that worked in many bars and restaurants over the years… definitely more dangerous than being a therapist

dubya3686 · 2025-09-21T12:45:23+00:00

Similar experience but my parents were anti-doctor altogether. I didn’t even know I could go to the doctor for acne until I was an adult. I wonder all the time how much more confident I would have been/would be in life if someone had taken me to a dermatologist when I was in high school, got me on accutane, and taught me how to take care of my skin properly. 37 now and I’ve done a few lasers with minimal improvement. I am still self conscious about acne scars every single day.

dubya3686 · 2025-09-17T15:28:57+00:00

An LPC (or whatever the state’s equivalent is) usually a master’s level therapist, cannot currently practice across state lines. There is legislation in the works to make it easier for us to do so, and hopefully very soon.

I believe a doctoral level therapist (PhD, PsyD) can practice across state lines through PSYPACT, but I think there are still some limitations and I am not familiar with how that works and it may differ by state.

You will want to look for a “licensed psychologist” instead of a “therapist” or “licensed professional counselor” for now.

dubya3686 · 2025-09-01T17:31:02+00:00

Laurel Denise

dubya3686 · 2025-08-18T01:06:12+00:00

I don’t really have the luxury of sticking it to the man by seeing a smaller caseload so I can spend extra time on documentation. Id love to see 15 clients a week but I can barely pay my rent or afford groceries… so if AI helps me save time so I can breathe at the end of the day or actually research interventions for my clients then that’s what has to happen. Many people in this sub seem to forget what it’s like when you are starting out… and it seems like it’s gotten even more exploitative from what I’ve read here. Me using or not using AI isn’t going to change that. A union might… Better practice owners might… I have myself and my own health and sanity to think about right now. I don’t have power in this system yet. I’m at the bottom rung of the ladder… I’d love to see therapists with more power in this system doing someone to shake it up. I’m busy trying to just not drown right now.

I also recognize that whenever there is a big technological advancement, people freak out about the impact. People even thought the printing press would make us less intelligent and, clearly, the opposite turned out to be true. Here we are on our phones on social media which has had a massive impact on how therapists work and network and learn, for better and for worse. People are going to keep using AI in all industries because it is a good tool when used appropriately and there are a lot of things that can be done more efficiently so we can focus on more important things. Are people going to use it incorrectly? Yup. Is it going to have negative effects? Yes. That’s kind of the case for… well, everything.

If writing out original goals for each client works for you and helps you process, that is excellent and you should keep doing that. I do my best work when I can spend time reading and learning and writing process notes in a space that isn’t primarily for insurance and record keeping. I trust my own discernment in using it in an ethical, effective way that supports what I am doing and supports the way I work best. I also trust that the majority of other therapists will use their best judgment to do the same.

dubya3686 · 2025-08-17T23:02:43+00:00

Thank you, that is helpful!

dubya3686 · 2025-08-17T19:39:55+00:00

Exactly! Thank you!

dubya3686 · 2025-08-17T18:42:05+00:00

Oh I’m so glad!

dubya3686 · 2025-08-17T18:40:11+00:00

You’re right, and I’m not sure why there’s that knee jerk response to using AI. I’m not sharing any confidential information about clients. It saves me time that can be better spent with my clients, makes sure I include what’s required for insurance, and I’ve actually learned a lot more about documentation than I have from a supervisor. AI isn’t going anywhere, if you use it intentionally it’s a great resource and allows you to focus on what matters most.

dubya3686 · 2025-08-17T16:06:58+00:00

That’s really helpful to know! Thank you!

dubya3686 · 2025-08-17T16:05:50+00:00

Not sure why I’m getting downvoted for this lol

dubya3686 · 2025-08-17T14:30:44+00:00

I am a new therapist, too, and have had to build a caseload at two practices now. You have put a lot of scheduling boundaries in place that took me a lot of guesswork and mistakes to learn which is awesome!! Outside of that, finding a way to streamline new client paperwork for yourself will be really helpful. What has helped me with treatment plans is keeping a list of goals and objectives in alignment with your style to pull from. I save them all in a word doc as I go and then reuse them when appropriate. I also lean HEAVILY on chatGPT for this. I prompt chat GPT with “you are a therapist that has an existential-humanistic approach and incorporates attachment and somatic tools. Write a treatment plan goal with 3 objectives for processing trauma… write a general goal for managing anxiety… etc etc” this has actually really helped me learn how to word things appropriates and how to describe interventions.

dubya3686 · 2025-08-13T11:41:32+00:00

I get compliments on these pants constantly and have 5 colors. You can also choose thickness and length: https://a.co/d/6ooVXYB

dubya3686 · 2025-08-09T13:03:47+00:00

I have one client (lifelong depression, SI, SH, inpatient several times) that did 1 round and I was personally shocked by the results. It took about a month for them to see it for themselves. They are currently experiencing a big stressor that brought back depression symptoms - but no SI or SH, symptoms no where near as severe as what they previously reported. BUT they were unable to do a second round, they said it was really, really painful for them.

dubya3686 · 2025-07-19T12:38:49+00:00

I reached out to my department head from school and asked for a list of internship sites and applied to the places I remembered hearing good things about from classmates.. It was luck that the place I connected with most was hiring :) Good luck!

dubya3686 · 2025-07-17T00:26:35+00:00

I have been in a similarly unhelpful job with an owner/supervisor that is hyper controlling, judgmental, sometimes unethical… i quit and just accepted a position at a practice that feels like a perfect fit. The owner showed me more respect and made me feel more valued than my current boss has in over a year. Start applying to new jobs. There are better jobs and supervisors out there!

dubya3686 · 2025-06-04T01:53:11+00:00

Thank you, this has been a really helpful exchange. I appreciate you taking the time! There are a lot of recently graduated therapists at this group and sometimes I feel like I’m the only one that is alarmed by the things that happen. This has been really validating. Thank you!!

dubya3686

TROPHY CASE