Therapy shopping!
I went to many therapists but nothing has worked for me so far!
So shares a disappointed lady in my message space!
Her plight is similar to many who have been disappointed with the therapy process
Before we jump to Conclusions and nod Dismally at the state of affairs in our country regarding Mental Health, let us analyse what is meant when the said statement appears
'I went to many therapists!'
The first question we need to ask
1️⃣ Who did you go to?
In every country there is a mandate regarding who can and cannot offer mental health services. Earlier there were psychologists but now there are coaches, healers, energy workers etc all clubbed in as 'therapists’. Is there any protocol that is standard? No! What is the specialisation regards to Mental Health Support they offer? Lines are blurry. Everyone you seek support from is not a practicing licensed seasoned and knowledgeable therapist. Psychologists offer evidence based therapy and their tools are scientifically tested and researched in depth. The self proclaimed ‘healers and therapists’ have one size fits all tool that they apply to all situations. Beware!
2️⃣ What did you tell?
Mental Health distress depends much upon the subjective recounting of the client of the symptoms and distress. The Practitioner needs to be discerning of the dynamics involved and devoid of personal agenda and activism. If the practicing persona has a certain ideology they might look down at the other element and counsel divisive instead of looking at what the client wants! Any intervention offered is done only after every aspect of client is examined objectively
3️⃣ How much did you reveal?
We do have a tendency to highlight certain aspects of our story and omit certain aspects that reflect unpleasantly on our selves. We like to build narratives to our advantage. It takes a skilled therapist to review and complete the story to support you in the best possible way. The skill, experience, inclination and expertise of a therapist plays a huge role
4️⃣ How much did you follow up?
The success of a therapy depends on sustained contact and follow up sessions. Did you meet once a week or were your sessions erratic? Did you feel overwhelmed and stop the session at an uncomfortable juncture?At a point when insights had to be converted into behavioural choices, did you terminate the therapy contact prematurely? All these factors will affect the therapy outcomes!
5️⃣Which behaviours did you modify?
Every therapist offers behaviour assignments designed to modify behaviour and create new choices for the client. Many clients do not take the walk from 'insight to action' continuum. They stop at the insight section of therapy. Truth is the insight requires a choice implementation which means behaving a different way than their previous pattern. This requires quite some amount of 'hit and miss' 'trial and error' and 'persistent observing and implementing! This is where many clients walk off the line and decide to not pursue this course further, blaming the therapy or the therapist whichever is convenient!
6️⃣What protocol did you follow /not follow?
Every therapy has assesment of goals, techniques with a name, tools to deal with behaviour deficits. They form the protocol toolkit. Did your therapist offer that to you or were you just in friendly conversation with regards to your life situations? Therapist is able to clearly link an intervention to your presenting situation. You would be able to test its efficacy vis a vis your life. If one intervention doesn’t yield results there is another intervention that is available. A Therapist comes with the knowledge that not every intervention works for all individuals. Therapist has to their disposal wide variety of tools applicable to different scenarios. They own up to their inability when a situation is beyond their means and make an honest referral to the one who will support in the given situation . From time to time the interventions are run under the scrutiny of efficacy and viability. Treatment resistance too is a factor that needs consideration. When a client is unwilling to carry forth with an intervention, it deserves a clear exploration without getting personally affected.
Your mental landscape is your property and priority.
If you need to cleanse it, clear it, refurbish it, it pays to find the right personnel instead of getting caught in a false trap and then cry foul!
Investigate well before you entrust your mental landscape to anyone!
By Sonnal Pardiwala
