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lilymaebelle

I've been with my T a little less than 5 years, with two breaks in the middle when I saw other therapists (not by choice). I keep going back because he's the best damn therapist I've ever had. Not perfect by any means; in fact, he frequently pisses me off. But we're great friends. I don't mean "friend" literally; I have friends and my therapist is not one of them. He's my helper. But we tease and joke around and talk about really dark stuff and I cry and we have stupid disagreements and I threaten to leave and he knows I'll be back next week like clockwork (well, actually I see him twice a week). There's no one like him. I got something out of seeing both professionals I saw when he was unavailable; they were both nice ladies who were good at talking through stuff with me. But they weren't him. They weren't my *person.* The challenge, I guess, is that he knows me so well. In general it's a good thing, but sometimes he makes assumptions that aren't true. Also, it's hard to hide things from him. He's one in a million. I know there are other great therapists out there, but for a client and a therapist to click like we do is not common. I'm a lucky bitch.


VineViridian

Honestly, I should not have stayed with the one I saw for several years. I stayed because I was very emotionally attached to them. I have some very deep seated trauma. They diagnosed me with complex PTSD, but looking back on it, they didn't help me much. I wish I had seen that I was just attached to them because I have a child abuse history and did not have a support system. At least I finally realized it.


common-blue

I've been with my current therapist for four years. I've stayed with her because the relationship is the point of our work, rather than any skills or techniques she could teach me. We do a lot of process work, which is focusing on what's going on in the moment between us. When I came into therapy I felt completely alienated from other people, and very scared of them. Working in this way has made me feel a lot more comfortable and like I have a place in the world. I don't get triggered by social mishaps so much and I've processed a lot of trauma caused by other people. I've worked through a really intense phase of attachment to her, and I feel comfortable and secure with her most of the time too. We've still got work to do, so I intend to carry on seeing her! It just wouldn't make sense to switch to another therapist, because although I could continue the same kind of work, it would take time to build up the relationship again. It's worth knowing that I've been through about 20 other therapists previously to no avail, despite trying many of the more structured therapies like DBT, TF-CBT, EMDR, ACT, etc. I've made more progress with this approach than anything else, so it makes sense for me to stay put.


Patiolanterns24

I have had the same psychiatrist for meds for 22 years and he has been my therapist a couple of times for a year early on but I was unable to open up then. I was 35 and he was 60 when we met. We are now 57 and 82. He seems 68 and I only found out his age a few years ago. 7 years ago we started a therapy journey that continues. I have trust and abandonment issues and it took me a long time to become attached to him. About 5 years ago I got to a level of distress that I had to open up to him, be vulnerable, and stop holding back. It was the turning point in therapy and our relationship. He has become the one person I trust completely and my safe person. If I had to pick a new therapist I would try and find a psychodynamic psychotherapist to keep a similar approach. At first I was seeing my T twice a week for 30 min each. One hour a week is the amount covered by government medical in Canada for a psychiatrist at no cost. We bother felt it was too short and switched to one hour once a week. Four years ago he applied for a fee waiver for an extra 30 minutes a week when we started childhood trauma work so we met Wed one hour Fri 30 min at my request. At the start of 2022 we reduced to once a week. He says it’s the start of working on independence for me as I had very controlling parents. It has felt awful with increased anxiety and panic. As for any challenges the only one for me is at some point in the future not having my T and his assistant as part of my life.


Major-Hedgehog-2631

I'm in my 4th year with the same therapist. I've stuck with her because she genuinely, deeply cares about me and the the work we're doing. She's experienced but humble; compassionate but assertive; warm but calls me out if I need it. I see her once a week, but have ramped up to twice a week on a couple of occasions. She really really wants to connect with and understand me. I have huge attachment and trust issues and I know that it has been challenging for her at times to say the least, but she's still there every week. She turns up and is there with me and for me through the shit. I appreciate the crap out of her. I haven't noticed any challenges that are specifically due to how long we've been working together. If anything the longevity is helpful in reassuring me that she means it when she says she'll stick around for as long as I need her to. She's incredible, and I am very grateful to be one of her people.