# how was your 1st visit to the psy?



## lilgreenmouse (Jun 14, 2009)

I saw one of my uni psychologists earlier this week and I didn't really know what to expect. I just basically talked for 1 hour, and he just asked for small clarifications here and there but that was it. No diagnosis, no info on the appropriate therapy I should follow (I had to bring it up myself, and even then). All he did was suggest on eventually referring me to someone else in the department.

Is this normal? Did your first consultation go anything like this?:|


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## aster (Jun 8, 2009)

lilgreenmouse said:


> I saw one of my uni psychologists earlier this week and I didn't really know what to expect. I just basically talked for 1 hour, and he just asked for small clarifications here and there but that was it. No diagnosis, no info on the appropriate therapy I should follow (I had to bring it up myself, and even then). All he did was suggest on eventually referring me to someone else in the department.
> 
> Is this normal? Did your first consultation go anything like this?:|


i explained that i thought i had SA. we talked about everything... i ended up crying lol. it was really overwhelming though. she thought it would be good for me to start meeting weekly, and the next week she asked me if i was interested in medication to help with anxiety.

you probably just didn't get assigned a good psychologist for you... just call and ask for a different one. did you talk about SA at all?


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## scaredtolive (Mar 19, 2009)

Ask him to refer you to someone who knows what they're talking about. In my opinion school psychologists aren't exactly well versed in SA. You need somebody who has extensive experience dealing with it.


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## lilgreenmouse (Jun 14, 2009)

aster said:


> you probably just didn't get assigned a good psychologist for you... just call and ask for a different one. did you talk about SA at all?


I did actually. All he said was that I had a good general view of my problems, that he'd like to follow me ftm, and that he'd refer me to someone else who would be more appropriate for my case. What bugs me is the fact I'm left hanging here until mid July (my next appointment).

It's like all I did was talk to a complete stranger, shake his hand when I was done, give him his 20$ and that was it.:blank I made it pretty clear I was ready to go to therapy immediately, and I know he's a "generalist" but what am I supposed to do until then?


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## zookeeper (Jun 3, 2009)

That sounds frustrating. I hate it when you have to tell your whole story to someone, and then they make you start over again with someone else.

But it's probably for the best. Hopefully the person you'll be seeing specializes in these things and has an understanding of what you're dealing with. It's really difficult telling all this stuff to someone who just doesn't get it.

And the waiting period just sucks. There really is no upside to that. Boo.


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## aster (Jun 8, 2009)

lilgreenmouse said:


> I did actually. All he said was that I had a good general view of my problems, that he'd like to follow me ftm, and that he'd refer me to someone else who would be more appropriate for my case. What bugs me is the fact I'm left hanging here until mid July (my next appointment).
> 
> It's like all I did was talk to a complete stranger, shake his hand when I was done, give him his 20$ and that was it.:blank I made it pretty clear I was ready to go to therapy immediately, and I know he's a "generalist" but what am I supposed to do until then?


whaat you had to pay? :sus
it's free at my uni.

that's not really fair... plus if you had to pay you should be getting what you want. is your next appointment with him again? if so you should just email him and tell him you are looking to start therapy as soon as possible and ask if he can refer you sooner? it might be easier to ask in an email.


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## nothing to fear (Mar 23, 2005)

maybe the first appt he is supposed to just refer you to whoever he believes is best suited. unless he meant eventually as in several appts from now.


that sounds kind of frustrating, and they should really try to be more clear and reassuring on the process of treatment or at least give you a vague idea on what they think is the problem (since it's tough to gauge on the first visit) and what the appropriate treatment may be.


my first appointment i was extremely nervous. i did a questionnaire given to me in the waiting room. when i saw he i really just went over my history of depression, pretty general overview. this doc was never very good as she would barely go into other problems i'd mention into detail, and she assumed that bipolar disorder was the only problem worth treating. on the first visit she diagnosed me with bipolar II, gave me some lithium, made an appt with her a month later and that was it.


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## nothing to fear (Mar 23, 2005)

i think when anyone seeks help for a problem, the first appt(s) should start with a very thorough assessment. since often if we know almost nothing about psychiatry or diagnosis or specific mood disorder we wouldn't know if the various problems we have are normal or whether they are worth mentioning. they can be difficult to express too.


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## odd_one_out (Aug 22, 2006)

My first visits usually involve them taking my history. They never inform me what's going on or tell me much about how they will proceed. If there's a long waiting period before the therapy, my GP asks me to see him for a review every week or two.

I can see it must be frustrating to have to wait even longer, but if they give you an appropriate therapist, it's far better than one who isn't suited to your case. When that happens, it can be very damaging. I'm having to end my current sessions because the therapist is very unsuitable.

I've had to leave many therapists who didn't know what they were doing and weren't willing to be flexible; they'd just stick to old-school theories and say that all my issues were caused by early trauma (of which I had very little!) I find it immensely difficult to find a good therapist experienced in SA. To complicate matters, I've been diagnosed with an ASD and am lucky if any therapist even knows of its existence!


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## socially inept (Mar 6, 2009)

pointless


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## John Paul (Jun 19, 2009)

It was a bit of a nightmare as the first time it was all about what problems I am experiencing currently and trying to explain it was terrible, I went in totally unprepared and struggled throughout the session, but she was very nice and understanding which I suppose is how they are meant to be.


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## Eugenie (Feb 17, 2009)

First appointment is about meeting each other, getting (somewhat) comfortable talking and taking a case history. Your apt sounds pretty normal.


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## STKinTHEmud (Jun 21, 2009)

My first session went a bit like yours. My therapist asked me questions and I talked for an hour. Of course, I was incredibly tense, not just because I wasn't used to talking about things I never tell anyone, but also because she was a woman. Towards the end of the session, she told me I had SA, more specifically directed toward women and that there were treatment options for it, and then she asked me if I wanted to continue seeing her to treat it. I told her I was hoping this would be a one time deal to see what was wrong, and she very politely asked me if I wanted to think about it and then come back and talk to her. I agreed, and she made another appointment for me with her.

When I came back to see her, I told her that I wanted to continue treatment she told me that since she was a woman she might not be able to relate to what I'm feeling (but it was really because it was clear that I was very tense), and so asked if I wanted to see a male therapist. She gave me two options and recommended the younger therapist, which I readily accepted. I've seen him twice, and I think we're making good progress (I'm a lot less nervous with him too).

All in all, I've had great experiences.


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