I only saw one therapist here and it left me more traumatized than before I went in. At the initial intake, he seemed friendly and knowledgeable. I expected to be starting EMDR within a couple of sessions. Instead, at each session, he would just stare at me, ask how I was and then leave it to me to start talking. There were several uncomfortable silences. I had to keep asking when we were going to start EMDR. He started by explaining (again) what it was and then giving me examples of how it helped other people and himself and examples of the safe places they described and that his happy place was a beach and how the sand felt, etc....I wanted to say that was great, can we focus on me now, (you know the actual patient). Nope...7 sessions (at $130 a session)were all wasted. Oh, I know all about the trauma he experienced with his father and where he went to school and the planet that another patient described but this was just not helpful to me.
I asked more firmly when we were going to start EMDR or if he didn't feel that was the right therapy, what else would he suggest. He then told me he felt I was 'resistant' and that I should have just 'gone with it'. He pointed out that maybe we should talk about my belief that I didn't feel I could be helped. I was shocked that a therapist would speak to a patient this way. He prefaced his comment with," No offense but,..." which of course, means something offensive is to follow.
I had already pointed out to him that I have done EMDR in the past and found it to be helpful. He didn't seem to hear this though and instead focused on preparing me to deal with the trauma that EMDR could bring up. I assured him I had learned to calm down by deep breathing, visualization, and that I would be fine. He told me that I need more than a '5-second description of some place'. He said that in a rather rude tone of voice. It was apparent he was narrowly managing to keep his temper under control.
I have no experience with the other therapists there, they may be great but please stay away from this man. He does not seem to know what he is doing. read more