I met with the third different therapist I’ve had this year. She seems nice, and eager. She says she’s going to stick around for a bit. I didn’t tell her that’s what everyone else says.
Most of the interview was the customary pleasantries. Why am I here. What am I looking for. Bare your soul, but don’t make it awkward. After three times delivering it this year, I’m getting pretty good at it. I’m here because I tried hard and failed to end my life. Insert disarming joke here. Smile.
If I’m laughing, I must be comfortable and happy.
I looked around her office for religious paraphernalia. I didn’t find any until I took a closer look at the back of her business cards. Some verse from Jeremiah. At least she’s not telling me Jesus will solve my problems. Too bad I can’t talk about it again.
This therapist will get a good try like the other ones. We’ll see how long it lasts. But there’s a routine to the process that’s getting in the way. I have to trust a therapist like an old friend or loved one, but that can’t happen quickly. So I get to be a meat puppet that smiles and laughs and keeps everyone happy so they don’t freak him out.
Amusing Nonsense 
FUCK! A verse from Jeremiah….
Any way you could feel her out to see if she might do the job of a professional therapist, putting aside her personal beliefs and help you where you’re at?
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Have you tried opening your discussions with “I have done this multiple times and I would like to skip over the pleasantries and get to something useful.” If she/he insists that you are going to have to get to “know one another” you can ask, how long does that take? It takes years to actually get to know one another, so can we just take a “consultant-client” position for now and see what we can do? If I were looking for financial advice, the financial adviser wouldn’t want to spend multiple sessions “getting to know one another.” We would start, say with my goals, my assets, my previous experience, no?
We assume that in relationships between “expert” and supplicant, that the experts are in charge. I suggest to you that whoever is paying for the service (you or your insurance company or the government on your behalf) should be in charge.
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