Therapist & CPTSD

[marta1234]

Hi, I'm new here and I just wanted to ask, what to do when your therapist does not have any knowledge on complex ptsd? Will the therapy still work? I have tried 2 sessions of "talk therapy" but it only made it worse (I got really scared at the end of the last one), and so my first session has been with hypnosis. I wanted to know if I can still manage with my therapist even if she has no knowledge of C-ptsd.
Thanks in advance.

[Kizzie]

Hi Marta - Just wanted to let you know I moved your post and made it into a separate topic so it wouldn't derail the thread that was going.

Have you talked to your T about whether they have experience/training with CPTSD? It might be the best place to start as we don't know them or anything about their experience, approach , etc.  Generally speaking though it's best to have a T who does know about CPTSD.

[marta1234]

Thanks for the reply.
Well no, I haven't really asked about it to my T, I just assumed they had some knowledge because in their description it was shown that they had. The thing is that where I live (student city), I haven't been able to find anyone with cptsd background or knowledge. So, I don't really want to change a therapist if they are going to have the same knowledge like my current one has.
I also didn't really feel comfortable when I was looking for therapists, it was a big ordeal for me and I just put too much pressure on myself.

[Kizzie]

You mentioned that the T did say they have experience with CPTSD so perhaps it's a matter of letting them know how scared you were after the first two sessions and that you would like to go slower.  We all have the right to negotiate treatment imo. 

[marta1234]

Sorry, I meant to write that in the description it said that the T had some background in "trauma and phobias", not exactly C-ptsd. I just hope I am not the only one who feels burdened and struggles when trying to find the right T.
Thank you for your help.

[arale]

No Marta, You're certainly not alone. Therapy is such an intimate, vulnerable affair. I want my T to be perfect, so most of the time I choose not to work with one rather than run the risk of feeling abandoned, disappointed, or worse, retraumatized.

[sanmagic7]

hey, marta,

welcome - glad you're here.

in my experience, when a T doesn't specifically know about c-ptsd, or whatever else might be going on with me, i've gone so far as to print out articles i've found on the internet and brought them in so they can familiarize themselves with it. 

as kizzie said, we often have to advocate for ourselves, even with trauma-informed T's.  there's a big difference, i've discovered, between knowing about trauma and working w/ someone who's suffering under the c-ptsd beast. 

i am an emdr therapist, and i just want to let you know that this is your therapy, your process, and the therapist should take the role of guide, not necessarily of authority.  you're the one who knows what's going on with you, what frightens you, what's too fast or too slow, how it makes you feel - everything that is unique to you.  you have the right to speak up and let a T know what you need and what you don't want right now. 

speaking to your T about any and all of this will help them understand better what it is you're going through, and therefore, how best to help you get through it and onto a healing pathway.  A good T, who is there for your own best interest will welcome input from you.  Even a c-ptsd T won't always know what will work best for you, as it takes many forms for every individual.

so, the more information you can give your T about how the therapy is going, how it affects you, what you'd like more or less of, if you're confused - whatever it might be that's going on with you - is going to benefit you.  That's the T's job - to work in your own best interest in the best way possible to meet your needs.  They're supposed to be there for you, not the other way around.  The more information you can give them, the more satisfaction you'll get.

by the by, i've also gone to T's who have said they have trauma experience, but hadn't a clue on how to help me, even when i explained everything.  i did have to quit seeing them and search for someone else.  i have finally found someone just in the past few months with whom i feel comfortable.  They are out there, even tho sometimes we have to do a bit of searching.  i hope the one you have now will be able to hear you and adjust their style to suit your needs.  all the best to you with this.  i hope it works out for you.  here's a caring hug if you want it.

[Kizzie]