In just a few weeks, I’m ending a three year relationship and I didn’t really get much say in the matter. My therapist is leaving her group, moving out of my insurance network, and will no longer be affordable for me to see weekly. So, I made the difficult decision to start closing that door and looking at new ones.
I’m finally comfortable with my anxiety
I started seeing a therapist in January of 2019 after too much of my life being ruled by anxiety. In the last three years:
- Got a Dx of Generalized Anxiety Disorder after 33 years without treatment
- Attended weekly therapy sessions
- Began medication for anxiety disorder (physical & emotional symptoms)
- Modified medication over multiple months under medical supervision
I changed my personal and mental care in a complete 180 because I NEEDED it. I needed to be a better mother, wife, friend, but most importantly — a better Amy. I needed to care for myself in a way nobody every had. So I did. And over the course of three years (yes, it’s taken that long), I’ve grown to trust my current therapist and be able to communicate things to her in a way that finally helps me grow.
Now I have to trust someone else?
Of course I naturally have anxiety about going to a new therapist for… anxiety. Which is why I’m trying to focus my therapist search a little more than I did three years ago. I’ve actually gotten a pretty good handle on my GAD through therapy, self improvement, medication, exercise, and nutrition. Now I need a therapist who truly understands what it’s like to be a parent of an autistic child. I need a therapist who is familiar with neurodiversity and what it requires of the neurotypical. I need a therapist who empathizes with “special needs” situations and the stress it can put on families.
I’m now more open to a less traditional model of therapy — I want to advocate for the community I’m a part of now and that may require more of me than I’ve given so far.
Any advice?
Have you changed therapists in the past? Was it because they moved out of network? Out of state? How did you deal with starting up a new therapy relationship? I’m looking forward to getting more info from the hive mind as I navigate the future.