should I try a new therapist?

[hannah195395]

Hi, looking for some help with this

I've had like 10 sessions with my therapist and I guess it's not going great. I know it's probably mainly my fault but I still don't know if I should try a different therapist or not.

I guess the main reason I was going to a therapist was like social anxiety. But going to see her has been up there with the worst social anxiety I've ever experienced, worse than the anxiety that made me go see someone. I feel like the few days after I see her my socialising is much worse than usual because I've put myself in that mode from being anxious when I see her, so pretty much I feel like it's been worse since seeing her.

She just makes me very very nervous and I always feel she is judging me and I guess that's my fault but I just can't face going back to see her again, it makes me so anxious just thinking about it. I don't know if I should try someone else though because I can't imagine having to go through finding someone and meeting someone again, and what if they don't seem to be so nice either? I think I might just not find another therapist and not see this one either.

Any help? thanks 🙂

[Aphador]

Hey Hannah! 🙂

Excellent work on reaching out 🙂 If you ever feel like you need someone to talk to, myself and others on these forums are here for you!

There is absolutely nothing wrong with seeing another therapist. Not every therapist is perfect, and pretty much every single one will have a different style. Therapists know this and don't let themselves feel bad if they lose a client. Different people respond best to different styles!

I can't guarantee that seeing a different therapist will change your situation, without knowing more about it. But it is important to find a therapist that you feel comfortable being completely open with. I have had multiple different counsellors/therapists. Although they have all been generally good (maybe I've been lucky), they have different styles- even if it's just a small thing like how much they listen.

Hope this has been helpful

Let me know what you think if you wish 🙂

Aphador 🙂

[P0L0]

Hello Hannah,

Welcome to the forums, and like Aphador said, we are here for you at any time.

At the end of the day, it all comes down to how you feel about the sessions. It is perfectly normal to switch therapists and that's okay. I've had friends who have gone through many, until they arrived at one they found to understand them.

However, I stress that after a bad experience with one therapist, try not to assume that all the other therapist's will be the same. You may find another one that is much better and helps with what you are going through.

Good luck and Best wishes!

P0L0

[geoff]

Hello Hannah, thanks for being so brave to open up to us, that's not easy to do.

As Aphador and POLO have said, there is no reason why you should go back to a therapist, whether it's a psychologist, psychiatrist or any other counsellor if you don't like talking to them, it only means that important issues won't be raised for fear of criticism, and these are what you need to discuss, but you can't if you believe it's not viable.

This certainly will not help you overcome the problems you're having.

Take care.

Geoff.

[LS128]

Hi Hannah,

Great work on reaching out, and well done on acknowledging your feelings in knowing that something is not quite working out for you with your current therapist.

To echo and build upon what Aphador, P0L0 and geoff have said, it is completely fine to feel that a therapist is not right for you. At the end of the day it is a two-way relationship, so it is important that you feel comfortable and accepted to ensure you get the results that you are after. I am sorry to hear that you feel that your social anxiety problems have gotten worse since seeing her.

Whilst there is no guarantee, it might be worth finding another therapist that makes you feel more comfortable. And hopefully that way you can resume your journey to improving yourself. Some therapists have different specialties to others. Without knowing more about your situation, it could be worth checking with your GP to see if there are any therapists they recommend who deal specifically with social anxiety.

Having been to therapists before, there have been multiple times where I decided not to go back. Whilst this was a setback at first, it put me one step closer to finding the therapist that was the right fit for me.

I hope my advice was helpful, but feel free to write back if you have any questions or thoughts.

Warm Regards,
LS128