Appt. With New Therapist Tomorrow!

[hodge]

Well, this is the first time I've had to switch to a new therapist mid-stream, so to speak. My previous therapist retired, and though she called me as recently as today, I know she wants to be retired and I had to call someone else, whom she suggested. So I did. And I see her tomorrow. She's actually a psychologist. I've never been to a psychologist, except to have my IQ tested when I was a little kid, by a psychologist who was a friend of my parents. So that wasn't really the same kind of thing.

I printed out my list of experiences from my diary, so that should help a lot in telling her my history. She seemed really nice on the phone, even commiserating with me on having to start with someone new, so that seemed like a good sign.

Anyways, guys, any well wishes and prayers would be very much appreciated. We have very slim pickins out here in the rural Midwest, and I really, really hope I can work with her. Even so, she's 40 miles away, though she's only going to charge me half her usual rate, given that I no longer have insurance.

[becvan]

Good luck Hodge! I certainly know what slim picking is like around here! I hope you guys click! Keep us updated!

bec

[hodge]

Oh, thanks so much, Bec. Here I am, 11 hours before I have to take off for this appt., and I'm awake. Yuck. Anyway, I'll report back:)

[She Cat]

Good luck Hodge.... Change can be so scary. On your drive there try not to think about it and wind yourself up. Turn up the tunes, enjoy the scenery, stop off and buy an ice cream before you get there. Pre-reward yourself for doing this, and then after stop off and get another ice cream. LOL!!!!!

OK so maybe not the healthiest choice, but hey.... You're worth it.....This was a huge accomplishment....

Good luck again...

Wendy

[kers]

How did it go, Hodge? You are so brave to keep going and to have found another therapist.

[Kathy]

Well done for having the courage to find someone new. I do hope it went well for you Hodge, and look forward to reading your "report". :smile:

[Lisa]

Hey good luck :)

[Monarch]

Hope all goes well Hodge, I just had a conversation with my therapist the other day and made sure we would be spending at least the next 3 years together. He wasn't moving or dropping my insurance carrier or anything like that, he said that we are good. I felt a little paranoid because when I changed my appt. this week he said " we have alot to talk about", that scared me so I called him back and asked what that meant and he just said he made that remarke because it has been 3 weeks and I was on vacation then he was on vacation and I moved my appt. and he knows we have alot to talk about. Sometimes I feel crazy. Anyway, you are braver than I and I hope it works out for you.

[reallydown]

Hi Hodge, how did it go today? I hope it's someone good. When it comes to therapists...I get "quackophobia" (not that all therapists are quacks...I just seem to have a special talent for finding ones who are...with one notable exception)

[hodge]

Wow, thanks everyone for all the well wishes!!!

Well, this was harder than I thought. I had less than a day to prepare, since it turned out she could see me so quickly. I was in a panic most of the day, worried about getting a panic attack on the drive, possible bad weather, etc., etc. But eventually I was able to take things one at a time, I laid down for a bit before leaving, and I made the long drive without panic attacks!

I think I like her. She's very sharp, expressive, and casual, a bit older than me, which I find comforting, and she has a no-shit philosophy, like here, which I really like :)

It was a two-hour appt. and she basically was getting my history. I figure we went through about 50-60 percent of the things that happened to me while I went through about 30 percent of her box of kleenex.

She gave me the same diagnosis of ptsd, though she wondered if Lexapro might work better for me than Paxil. She said she saw signs of depression. That's another thing I like about her - she's very observant and sensitive and picks up on a lot. However, she also assured me that if I'd come in there happy with all the stuff going on with me lately, she'd have been really worried :)

So far, so good. I'm looking forward to continuing after her vacation next week. I was really exhausted afterward and am still pretty tired. I'm sorry I'm not up to responding to all your kind notes individually at the moment, but I really appreciated them all!

[becvan]

Excellent news hodge! I'm glad to hear it. It sounds like she just might be a winner!

bec

[She Cat]

Hodge,

So happy that you made it to the appointment without too much stress. Even happier that you and the new Therapist seem to be hitting it off together. That's half of the battle.

Wendy

[Lisa]

Great stuff :) I like the no shit philosophy mixed with enough sensitivity to be able to pick up on things. Gosh its so important to actually like your own therapist! Good luck with it all!

[batgirl]

I'm late coming into this thread Hodge, but I'm really glad it went well for you! I hope you continue to like her, a good therapist can be difficult to find.

[Jim]

Well done Hodge. A decent therapist can make a world of difference.

Jim.

[hodge]

Thanks so much for the support, everyone! The more I go over our appt. yesterday, the more I have a good feeling about this. I agree it's nice to like your therapist and so important to have confidence in their perceptions, thinking, knowledge, approaches, etc. I tested out some tidbits with her that I learned with my previous therapist, and she gets those, but she also has other ways to approach things, which is great.

I think it also helps if they like you, too. I got the feeling that was mutual, so that's good! And I think she will be challenging as well as compassionate, which is what I'm paying her for, after all :) !