[After
about six months of psychotherapy] I had a dream [in which my psychotherapist
was shown to be indifferent and uncaring]. My psychotherapist trivialized
the dream, as she does with most dreams that I tell her about. I have stopped
telling her my dreams in fact. Ever since this dream, I seem to be getting
nowhere in therapy and feel as though I am wasting my time. I tried to talk
to her [about all of my feelings] as transference, and she got annoyed with
me. . . . She made me feel very foolish. . . .
When I told her I wanted to terminate with her . . . I asked for
my file. She said that . . . she had no file, but rather notes
on pads in different places. This stuck me as very odd. I have to wonder
where these notes are lying around, and who is reading them. Do you find
that odd?
It seems clear to me that your dream most likely was the
result of your
unconscious perception
that your therapist lacks the ability to “treat” you properly—and
I mean that both humanly and clinically. Her inability to
interpret your dream,
and her inability to respond clinically to your attempt to discuss
transference both
point to her being one of those “bad therapists” I mention on this
website. It’s to your credit that you perceived this fairly early on
in the relationship.
I say the following
about clinical records on my page about
confidentiality
in clinical psychology:
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In the US, federal
laws governing the nature and confidentiality of mental health records may
be overridden by more stringent state laws, so psychological practice can
vary from state to state. But in general a psychotherapist is required to
keep some basic records that consist of the dates of your sessions, your
fees and payments, and clinical notes that describe and justify your treatment.
The clinical notes can vary in length and detail according to the preference
of the psychotherapist, but in general they shouldn’t be too detailed,
and you have a
right to ask about
them. All this information is kept in your individual chart along with general
office forms and any other information relating to treatment, such as the
results of any psychological
testing. |
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Your
psychotherapist’s lack of clinical records is therefore absolutely appalling
and, depending on the laws of your state, could be considered both an
ethical violation and clinical negligence. You don’t say
what sort of “therapist” she is. If she’s a
psychologist,
you could contact the Board of Psychology and file a complaint. (Here’s
a link to find the Board of Psychology in your state:
Roster
of Member Boards of Psychology.) If she’s an
MFT or an
LCSW, then you
would have to contact the appropriate agency for those licenses. (In California,
the website for the Board of Psychology lists the addresses of the other
licensing agencies.)
As for choosing
a new psychotherapist, I have
a page on that
subject on this website; I can add here that you might look specifically
for someone who practices
psychodynamic
psychotherapy. In addition, then, you could ask if the psychotherapist
has had experience in
dream interpretation.
You can also ask about the person’s own psychotherapy—someone who
has been in
psychoanalysis
is more likely (but not guaranteed) to be sensitive to dream work and
transference issues.
And then, use the very first session to determine how that person treats
you; that is, does he or she give
honest, non-defensive
answers to your questions? Does he or she show a balance between listening
and taking the lead to guide you? And, the best “test” of all is
whether you leave that first session feeling that you have been both challenged
and supported and that you have actually learned something new about yourself.
Then pay attention to your dreams!
No
advertising—no sponsor—just the simple truth . . .
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Huh?
Freewill website?
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