# What is my therapist doing?



## tigerfox (Mar 19, 2011)

I've been in therapy for almost a year and in that time have seen 2 trainee therapists for around 6 months each.

My current therapist is really good and I think I have made quite a bit of progress since I was passed over to him. What's bothering me is that often I will go and I usually expect to see him the following week however every time I go lately he tells me he "can't see me next week so it will need to be in two weeks time"

Is this a technique that therapists use to make you less reliant in therapy? I can't work out if he's just really busy or if he's trying a technique but not telling me about it.

I think it's the not telling me about it that I have a problem with. It makes me feel a bit foolish and like he's trying to trick me or something. I would be fine with it if he just explained what was going on because I could be aware of it and try to work with it rather than getting paranoid or feeling like an idiot.

What do you guys think? Is this a common technique? Should I say something to my therapist maybe?


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## upndownboi (Oct 7, 2010)

hmm weird... I don't think it would be a technique for making you less reliant on therapy because I feel he'd discuss something like that with you. If it is a technique it might be cos he wants you to open up and express yourself more and this is a way to provoke a strong emotional response in you, he's hoping you'll express yourself to him about it and it might be the thing that opens the floodgates for you to express yourself more in general.


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## j a m (Jan 26, 2012)

No... he would tell you if scheduling infrequent appointments was part of treatment if it were. Just ask him what's up. Tell him that you need to see someone weekly, and ask him to make that happen or ask to see someone more available.


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## tigerfox (Mar 19, 2011)

I couldn't work out if I was being paranoid. I will mention it next time, I suppose I'm not very good at communicating honestly with him, but like you say, maybe he's just busy.

I always feel like i'm pissing him off! A couple of weeks ago I actually apologised to him for constantly going on about SA and boring him with my problems. The last session I think I was being a bit defeatist because I was so down. Maybe he's just busy.


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## wxolue (Nov 26, 2008)

Not being critical, but it sounds like you're being a little paranoid. Therapy typically doesn't have to be kept a secret in order for it to work. If he really was trying to try to get you to be less dependent on therapy, I'm sure he would tell you first, and would probably ask you if you felt ready to do so.

Worst case scenario, he just didn't think it was important to mention it. Ask him, and I'm sure he'll be more than happy to clear it up. Most likely scenario is that he really is overbooked, and thinks you can handle yourself better than some of his other patients (assuming he is busy because of other patients, and not because he's writing a dissertation or doing research or something).


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## Crystalize (Aug 22, 2010)

No. Dont forget, he is there to listen to you and help you to deal with stuff, that is the reason for his existence as a therapist. if he is being all weird about it then I suggest you either find a new one or talk to him about it.


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## Ben12 (Jul 8, 2009)

Is it possible to maybe book multiple appointments through a given time. That way your guarantee spots. I used to see a psychologist and I can remember that that's what I would have to do there otherwise I wouldn't ever get an appointment in for the following week. Sometimes I'd even have to wait 2-3 weeks just to get an appointment in because he was always very busy. 

But yeah that would be my advice. Book multiple appointments throughout the weeks. If its weekly, book one appointment per week and get those appointments in ahead of time before other patients fill in the slots. That's probably what's happening. Hope that helps.


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