Talk therapy after ERP therapist?

[disneyandme]

Hi everyone! Does anyone here have two therapists? I love my OCD specialist and she helped me to get my OCD to a management level over the course of about a year. Its been two years now since I began with her, and my OCD never flares up too much but it of course always plays a role in my life and my anxiety. Although my therapist was great in tackling my OCD and the web of themes I had when we began, I’m finding now that we don’t seem to be a good match when it comes to talking about things that aren’t necessarily OCD. For example: relationships, job stressors, general life anxiety etc.. She kind of just shrugs these things off and doesn’t really take me seriously unless it fits into the mold of OCD. But, I’d still like to have a support person to talk me through all of the ups and downs life throws at me. I mentioned to her once before that I was thinking about getting an additional therapist and she discouraged it.. but it almost seemed like it was because she didn’t want to have to work with another therapist. She was a GREAT therapist and match for me when I first found her, but ever since we “finished” ERP therapy/my hierarchy of fears, she has made me feel very unimportant and like a hassle when I ask her for an appointment. If anyone has any thoughts or suggestions about how I can find an additional therapist who understands OCD enough to do general anxiety talk therapy with me please let me know

[Hidden]

Psychologytoday.com has been the best resource for myself and my son because it allows you to find Therapists in your area and filter specific treatments and specialties and find out who takes your insurance, etc. I have 2 Therapists, but it's because I'm being treated for different issues and want different modalities to help myself. Quite frankly, I'd love to gather an entire team of Therapists and Healers to help my son and I. Good luck... I think it's important to find the help that you need. Your Therapists should most definitely be present for you.

[disneyandme in reply to Hidden]

Thank you!! I very much agree. Good luck to you and your son- he is very lucky to have a parent who is advocating for the both of you.

[Aleese]

Hi Disney girl😊I’m So glad~you have come a long way in conquering OCD.⭐️It never is a bad idea to find more means of moving ahead ie: another therapist. Though I’m done with therapy, at times I think i would like to have another one to hone in on another things. Or, even a coach. Anyway, sounds good. Hope you find another therapist that can be a great fit for you. Nice to chat with you after many months😁

Take care 🤗🌺🌸

[disneyandme in reply to Aleese]

Hi Aleese! So nice to chat with you 😊 I definitely think an additional therapist or even a coach would be good for me just to have an extra support person in my life. I wish it could’ve been my OCD therapist but we seem to not be a great match anymore. I’m not sure how to go about finding another therapist/coach who understands OCD enough to not potentially trigger it with talk therapy…. But I’m going to bring it up to my current therapist again and see if she has any recommendations. Hope you are well ❤️❤️

[PaperTigers]

I personally think there's no sense in investing time and energy in a person you feel doesn't take you seriously. I think it would be good to check in with her just about the OCD on maybe an every other week basis or something similar, not knowing your situation I don't have a specific timeline, but you get the idea. Additionally, it might be good to have a second person with new perspectives on your side, they might be more enthusiastic about your treatment. Just my two cents.

[disneyandme in reply to PaperTigers]

Thanks! I totally agree- it’s been hard having my relationship with my therapist transition this way. I personally feel better when I know I have a support person I can just talk about my everyday life with. I wish it could’ve been my OCD therapist, but as you said, a second person will have new perspectives and the enthusiasm (hopefully) that my therapist seems to lack now.

[Playonwords]

I have two therapists and they have coordinated care so that the talk therapy doesn’t interfere with my OCD treatment.

[disneyandme in reply to Playonwords]

Hi!! Can I ask how you found a talk therapist that would work with your OCD therapist? I’m not sure how to go about finding an additional therapist that will be able to coordinate talk therapy with my OCD

[Playonwords in reply to disneyandme]

I had the talk therapist first who then helped refer me to an OCD specialist. However, when you search talk or CBT therapists in your area and you can look in their bio to see if they have experience working with OCD. There’s also OCD peers- they might be able to give you referrals

[DeathtoOCD]

If you don't think think there is a reason to be with your OCD therapist then that's okay. You might want to talk to her about how you feel like you are not connecting with her or feel that you want something more generally, who knows maybe she might have someone in mind who knows of OCD but can also help with general stuff as well. I mean therapists are humans too so she might not think you are quite done yet, and you might believe that you are. It's okay to switch to just a general therapist I think.

[Bronxgirl56]

My therapist is teaching me cbt therapy which I need to learn to manage my ocd and anxiety but I could use a therapist that I can talk to about what is going on in my life oh and I have germ ocd I worry about getting other people sick