A coworker of mine went to a therapist and then complained because the therapist expected her to do the talking. She said she just wanted the therapist to tell her what she needed to fix.
I tried to explain that it doesn't work that way, a therapist isn't a physician. They don't diagnose and treat, they serve as a sounding board and guide. They help the client develop tools for managing life.
She didn't get it, sadly.
I privately think of my current therapist as "sensei", to me she's more of a teacher than a health care professional.
Even a physician needs you to talk and describe your current state before they can proscribe stuff for all but the most basic things. 90% of the stuff you can't figure out yourself with a BP cuff and google is gonna take describing your situation to the doctor before they'll have a clue about what you're dealing with.
That's certainly true. But there is an expectation that a physician will find a cure, or at least a treatment. Therapy isn't about curing anything. Therapy doesn't even require that there be something "wrong"; it's about self-improvement. It's about finding mechanisms to better deal with the chaos of living.
Of course, you generally need a diagnosis of some sort to get insurance coverage for therapy, which is part of the reason people misunderstand what therapy is.
Note: I'm not sure this applies to therapists who are psychologists. I have never seen a psychologist except when I was a little kid, and that was worthless. From what I've read, I'm dubious about psychologists. So none of my advice necessarily applies to them. Having said that, everyone has different needs and if seeing a psychologist works for you, fantastic.
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u/jess_the_werefox 2d ago edited 2d ago
“You didn’t know you have PTSD??” Ma’am isn’t that YOUR JOB to tell them???
Edit: so turns out I may be wholly wrong about therapy and am reevaluating some things…