had my 1st therapy session today

[PinkMantha]

i have been suffering from depression for quite some time now and have been signed off work since april, i had my first counselling session today, was 2 people there (felt like they were gangin up on me) they asked me loads of questions and one of them was about my diet so i explained i am on CD then the woman started laying into me asking if my hair is falling out yet, that i wasting £50 - £60 a week and have had no results yet. i phoned my cdc straight away and explained what was said and have decided im not coming off the diet, i am going to pull my finger out now and stop wasting my money, i only have 5 weeks untill my surgery and want to try get to 11 1/2 stone by then xxx

 

[determinator]

how dare a 'therapist' talk to you like that ? you are making a positive change to your life and they lay into you about it ?? i would seriously complain about this , it is not a therapists job to critisise your life choices !!!! I am shocked

 

[Kes]

yes that therapist is bang out of order... i would report them to be perfectly honest..... and find another one

 

[Goreygirl]

Hi Mantha

It's very brave of you to take the plunge into therapy and I am so sorry you had a bad first experience. Like any other profession there are good and bad therapists out there. Also "therapy" is a word that is used generally to describe many different types of talking treatment (CBT, person centred counselling, psychoanalysis, counselling, psychoterapy). Qualification levels also vary for differnt types .. some will have a certificate (a year long study), others will have degrees and masters and lots of post grad qualifications. I've been off work since May and am likely to be off for another few months yet. I had various forms of short-term "solution focussed counselling" over the last few years before finding my current therapist in May (which luckily my health insurance pays for at the moment as we have no NHS over here and all treatment has to be paid for). Starting CD is one of the most positive things I have done and my therapist (I am having psychotherapy with some CBT elements) is 100% supportive of my endeavours as he is of the opinion it is another step in my learning to like myself and nurture myself.

Therapists (depending on the type of treatment being delivered) are supposed to challenge beliefs and actions so that over time you become aware and understand the deeper motivations driving them and then, hopefully, develop healthier ones. But this is supposed to be done in a supportive way as the basis of any therapeutic relationship is trust! Talking treatments only work if you can be completely honest; my guy described it as creating a "safe box" in the therapy room for me to dump all my junk in and then we would take bits out a bit at a time and look at it and work out what was going on. Sounds like you person was bringing their own issues into the room and the fact that 2 people were there leads me to believe one was a "supervisor" and the other in supervised practice as part of their training.

Did your GP refer you? If so I would go back to him and explain to him what happened straight away; you may want to bring someone for moral support with you if that makes you feel easier. If you went private then is there a "practice manager" where you went that you can write to and express your concerns? I know if I were you I would be unwilling to go back to that particular therapist so you need to find another one ASAP (either via GP or if private via bcap.co.uk).

You may also want to have a look at the MIND website for some support (and even ring the helpline for advice on what you have just experienced). MIND are fantastic and a great resource.

Understanding talking treatments | Mind is a great part of their website.

Take care hon

 

[PinkMantha]

yes i was refered by my gp. the lady came in a bit later and the doctor said she was a social worker. i just felt like she slated everything. i have the implanon in my arm as my form of contreception and she said i should think about changing it as it can make me feel low, i know she has to advise things that could help lift y mood but it was the way she said things. they are refering me to there nutrionist, i will go along to see what they have to say but i am not coming off cambridge, they are also refering me for free to my local leisure centre gym, i know i cant really work out on ss but i thought even if i just walk for 30 mins on the tredmill then once i am eating again i can do more, why not if it is free. x

 

[Goreygirl]

You can work out on SS Mantha; your body will use the fat reserves as a source of energy so going to the gym will be good for you. Just remember to increase your water intake to account for the sweating. Exercise will also rev up your metabolim burning more fat for the 24 hours afterwards. Like anyone starting out exercising you have to build up from where you start out and may feel dizzy and nauseaus but that's part of exercise. In my days when i was fit my personal trainer used to push me till I thought I was going to die! lol

Go for it! Those gym based referrals are really really good as the trainers usually have a good understanding.

 

[Kes]

does your leisure centre have a pool? swiming is fab..
and try and get some weights in.. they will be good for you...

 

[Goreygirl]

BTW... why was a social worker brought into a therapy session without your prior consent? Therapy sessions are supposed to be private between patient and therapist? I know this was an "assessment" to identify the best path forward for you but the set-up and the roles of each person should be explained to before it starts .. particularly why each person is there!

 

[Delicious-Jax]

What an awful experience, sending you a big hug x
As for a Social Worker being in the same room, whilst you were to have a session with therapist....totally wrong!!

 

[PinkMantha]

yes it has a pool but i dont know if that will be included xxx

 

[PinkMantha]

i dont understand why a social worker was brought in, i should of asked really. they then started questionning me about my boob job but we quickly got off that subject as NO ONE is talking me out of that, not even my dad lol x