CLOSED to new questions AMA 7-22-20 [Ask Me Anything] with the therapist, Shareen Birges and Rory Boutilier answering your questions
Hi there. My name is soulsings, the ambassador liaison with 7cups therapy program. I am thrilled to introduce an AMA [Ask Me Anything] thread that can help you better understand how 7cups online therapy can help you cope with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) and other mental health issues that you experience in your life. Shareen Birges and Rory Boutilier, licensed therapists that provide online therapy services for 7 Cups, can answer your questions about different mental health challenges in your life. See their bio's at the end of this post! This format gives you 3 days July 20th to July 22th (EDT time GMT-5) to ask your question and gives Shareen 3 days, July 21 to 23rd, to answer your questions about finding therapy options for Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) and other challenges.
Shareen (Shareen's therapy page) and Rory Boutilier (Rory's therapy page) are also available to sign up for therapy if you are feeling like you might benefit from online therapy So post your questions now and they will answer them as quickly as they can. Remember this is a 3 day thread, so get your questions in early. Questions answered in the order received.
Sometimes people ask the same or similar questions, so please read through the questions in this thread before submitting your questions so you can benefit from all the answers presented here and we can limit duplicate questions from happening.
Thanks for participating in this AMA thread. I look forward to your questions and Shareen's answers.
bio for Shareen Birges Bachelor of Applied Social Science (Counselling), Graduate Diploma Youth Mental Health, Masters of Social Work (Professional Qualifying) Counselor
I have been working as a counsellor for over 10 years, primarily online since 2015 and on 7 Cups since 2016. Through my practice I have worked with many clients however my primary specialties are Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), young people, families and parenting, alcohol and other drugs misuse and abuse, mental health, trauma (particularly childhood trauma), grief and loss, and cancer and chronic illness (including end of life care). More on her therapy page
Bio for Rory Boutilier Registered Professional Counsellor
I take a unique approach to helping you reach your goals and I fully believe that therapy is a collaborative process - your success is my success. My focus in on you and your progress in therapy. I have training in short-term/dynamic, cognitive-behavioral, existential, client-centered, and solution-focused therapy models. Whether you are struggling with depression, anxiety, self-harm, life changes, or anything else, my goal is to help you achieve the changes you want to see in your life. I am here to help you in the process by being non-judgemental and unbiased in our work. More on therapy page
When it has been more than 12 years but it still haunts you & nothing seems to be working. How to overcome such a painful past?
Hi @lyricalAngel70 and thank you for sharing ... long standing pain is difficult to hold, and I'm sorry you've had to carry it alone for so long. When you carry pain for so long, it can feel like it will never get better and you will never have a life without pain, so I understand the helplessness I hear in your post.
I do believe that long standing pain, like any other psychological and emotional pain, can be understood, processed and healed, it is why I am a counsellor. I see it as similar to healing a physical wound. The wound itself can't heal without the right environment, but with the right environment, an open wound can heal over, scab and finally scar. Once the wound has become a scare, it no longer has the capacity to cause us pain, except for perhaps a twinge here and there.
Finding the right support for yourself is really important, I hope you do find it and are able to heal this pain.
Again, thank you for sharing.
Shareen.
I know that I have to face some troubles each day to be more stronger, but I really want to rekax and stop being under anxiety and worry about my study, my job and my future. I reached the degree of waiting for the moment that I would get fired from my job and fail in my studies and be alone without meeting my love life.
Hi @DinaElwy I'm so sorry to hear this. It sounds like you have had some anxiety issues for a while and its hard when things go on for quite a long time.
Without specifics and more information I can't really provide you with any real support. I would urge you to speak with a professional, a counsellor, psychologist, GP or psychiatrist about your long standing anxiety issues. There may be options for you that you haven't tried before, like medication.
I hope you get the support you need and are able to learn to manage your anxiety in a more effective way.
Shareen
@ShareenBirgesBASSGDYMHMSW For a long time I have been bullied and underrated. I try to prove myself, but I always meet people who press on my weaknesses and prove my disability. I am tired of trying to protect my place which I consider temporary for another stage only because I do not want to be insulted and fired. Others always assume that I am often flattered and that there are many who like me and want to relate to me, so I always meet someone who treats me roughly because I am a spoiled girl who does not know anything about the troubles of life and has never experienced anything. This is a glimpse of my life. I cannot now tell specific situations.
Thank you very much Shareen Birges and Rory Boutilier for answering the member questions. We appreciate your insightful answers. If you already asked a question before this post, Shareen Birges and Rory Boutilier will try to answer your questions.
This Thread is now closed to additional questions - thank you for participating in this AMA.
@soulsings thank you so much for organising and facilitating this AMA and @RoryBoutilierRPC for helping me out with answers when I became overwhelmed by the response! I have done AMAs before but never with this level of interest.
I hope all of you who posted and those who read the posts but didn't post themselves are happy with the responses Rory and I gave. It can be hard sometimes for us therapists to provide what people are looking for without more information but I'm sure Rory did his best and I can assure you that I did mine.
Best of luck to everyone who posted or just read the posts and replies and I hope you are all able to move foward with positivity in your lives.
Shareen.
I'm studying psychology, have read a lot about BPD and I match every single symptom in ICD-10 as well as DSM-V, from dissociation, to unstable relationships patterns, impulsivity, extremes of idealisation and devaluation, mood swings, every symptom, still, my therapist is denying that i may have bpd when i know how much it has negatively impacted my life. I'm 20, not even a minor that it cant be diagnosed. She's giving stupid reasons for my behavior
Thank you so much @ShareenBirgesBASSGDYMHMSW and @RoryBoutilierRPC for your supportive answers. I am very grateful for what you did and I want to say how much I appreciate you both taking the time to reply to all.
Thanks again to @soulsings and @LisaDeRegtMBPsS for making this possible
For all those suffering from BPD or any other personality disorder, the Personality Disorder Support Subcommunity would be honoured to keep offering you a safe and supportive space. Feel free to join us here, if you havent done that yet.
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