I’m in the process of finding a new therapist. I had yet another bad experience with a mental health professional after seeing and sticking with this therapist for 14 months.

I say “sticking with” because three times (counting this time) during the 14 months I wanted to stop seeing her and actually actively began looking for and set up consults with new therapists following therapy sessions with her. In the end, I kept putting her feelings above my own. Except for this time. It was a very dysfunctional relationship and I see that even clearer now that I have some distance from it.

I’m in a better place now so I’m taking this better than I would have previously. It’s actually made me want to fight for myself and fellow survivors even harder, and it’s pushed me to look into becoming certified myself. We need more certified therapists and coaches who have actual lived experience and not just book knowledge.

I’m trying to decide how to deal with this. On one hand, I feel like she could potentially cause harm to somebody else who is more vulnerable than myself, and on the other hand I think she may have actually violated her oathe.

I just wish there was a way to change the current system so that it is mandatory for therapists to have a fundamental portion of their training dedicated to learning about childhood complex trauma. It’s maddening to realize that globally not just therapists, but also medical doctors, receive no training about trauma. Despite the plethora of scientific evidence linking childhood trauma to adult illnesses and disease at their fingertips. And unless they seek this extra training out themselves people like us who do the research actually know more about our condition than the professionals do.

I want to share my experience with this therapist from the perspective of a survivor of childhood complex trauma in the hopes of educating others and to help fellow survivors to know what to look out for. I think we need training in how to find a good trauma therapist and what to do when you realize you’re not a good match after all. This could help many of us from becoming retraumatized by yet another person who should be helping us and not causing us more harm.

Please let me know if you’d be interested in hearing my story by liking this post. I think we need to have this conversation. ❤️