AMA Ask the Therapists Anything - CLOSED to new questions - Read Questions to and Answers by the therapists

@onwardforevenmore I'm seeing lots of ways therapists can help people with long covid; when looking for a therapist, is it better to find someone who can specialize in things going in w/long covid like ptsd, sleep problems, ACT, etc or someone who specializes in "chronic illness" more generally? How to choose a therapist when there are many things going on at once?

Hi @onwardforevenmore, Thank you for your question! I would say that it is important to find the right therapist for someone seeking therapy as it is the relationship between both the therapy client and therapist that usually is the key to unlocking everything else. It depends on what the main issues are for a person seeking therapy as to the best therapeutic approach and if there are many it is quite helpful to break them down into 3 main issues and see if you can find a therapist that holds the particular experience you require. It is also necessary to see a medical practitioner if you are facing particular medical issues that cannot be helped by working with a therapist. 🌻

@TiyamikeMa why do i keep letting him hurt me but when he breaks up with me i beg him to come back. my bf and i have been together for 17 months and we've broken up about 5 times. 1st time was cause our plan to meet up didn't well. 2nd time was cause i went to an event he told me not to go to. 3rd was cause i liked a post he didn't like. 4th was cause he said i don't love him enough. 5th was cause i wasn't happy with the fact that wants to dictate my clothing. i love him i really do. i also think im part of the problem with us. i want us to last but deep down i know we can't.

Hi @TiyamikeMa, Thank you for your question! :) I am so sorry to hear that you've experienced difficulties with your relationship and I can only imagine just how difficult that is for you right now. Relationships are tough and at times we can all go through ups and downs. It sounds like you may need to work on communication within the relationship which may help you reach a more positive space together. It can help to give one another five minutes of time to express how you're feeling without the other person interrupting and you each take it in turns to be the speaker. I hope things are more peaceful in the relationship for you very soon. 🌻

@helgafy Hi Lisa. I have severe sickness of ME/CFS (little energy) - staying at my sofa each day. Each morning my mind "go to ***" - feeling very bad. Can you please suggest a way to get out of this mental situation?

Hi @helgafy, Thank you for your question! It is so so difficult what you're going through and it sounds like it's been ongoing for some time. I wish there was something I could do to take your suffering away from you. Whilst I am not a doctor and I have very little experience working with ME/CFS, I will do my best to answer your question. It is so crucial for you to surround yourself with support whether that is from friends, family and on 7 Cups. I can imagine suffering from ME/CFS can be incredibly isolating and I do hope you have people who you can reach out to. Take it day by day and do what you can to help you get through each day. If you need to rest then make sure that you rest. I am glad that you're able to access 7 Cups through this incredibly challenging time for you. Do you have activities that you can do from your sofa that interest you? Just little ways in which you can improve your mental health. I wish you all the best with your health. 🌻

@helgafy Hi Lisa. I have severe sickness of ME/CFS (little energy) - staying at my sofa each day. Each morning my mind "go to ***" - feeling very bad. Can you please suggest a way to get out of this mental situation?

Hi @helgafy, Thank you for your question! It is so so difficult what you're going through and it sounds like it's been ongoing for some time. I wish there was something I could do to take your suffering away from you. Whilst I am not a doctor and I have very little experience working with ME/CFS, I will do my best to answer your question. It is so crucial for you to surround yourself with support whether that is from friends, family and on 7 Cups. I can imagine suffering from ME/CFS can be incredibly isolating and I do hope you have people who you can reach out to. Take it day by day and do what you can to help you get through each day. If you need to rest then make sure that you rest. I am glad that you're able to access 7 Cups through this incredibly challenging time for you. Do you have activities that you can do from your sofa that interest you? Just little ways in which you can improve your mental health. I wish you all the best with your health. 🌻

@toughCup4675 How do I get my spouse to respect me more as a person?

Hi @toughcup4675,

Thank you for your question! It is difficult when you feel like you might not be respected in your relationship as it can cause many issues such as feeling frustrated, overwhelmed and lonely. I would encourage you to explore why you feel like you are not respected and look at the boundaries within your relationship too. See if you can try to talk openly and honestly with your spouse to try and rebuild and maintain the relationship and give one another the chance to talk about concerns, sometimes by having a safe space between you both it can help you to feel more connected and help you to work on building respect and trust. It could be small and simple things that you can change to help strengthen the relationship and having honest and open communication can help you find common ground and mutually work on respect and understanding in your relationship. 🌻

@Walker7957 Hello, I’m looking at starting 7Cups therapy again but with a new therapist. Is it possible for a therapist to choose me rather than me choosing them? I think I would rather someone select me if they believe to be able to help me as best as possible.

Hi @Walker7957,

Thank you for your question! Usually, in any setting, a therapist would not typically choose their client as they would come to the therapist for therapy. Although at 7 Cups, we are able to match you with a therapist if you feel like this would be better for you. It can be done here: https://www.7cups.com/therapists, you can search for the issues you wish to receive therapy for and make sure you select the tickbox that says Provides Online Therapy and you'll be able to find a therapist that meets your needs. If you have any questions you can email us to by emailing support@7cups.com and you are able to switch as many times as you need to find the right therapist for you as we really believe finding the right therapeutic fit is very important for an individual to flourish in therapy. :)🌻

@Zauberfrau Regarding the 7 cups online therapy: Can I chat with more than one therapist before choosing who I want to work with? Can i change my therapist later in the process?

Hi @Zauberfrau,

Thank you for your question! It is possible to switch therapists to find the right fit and you are able to switch as many times as you like! We believe that in any relationship, including your professional relationship with your therapist that finding the right fit is important and this is why we ensure that you're able to switch as many times as you need. 🌻

@scarletpear1945 Is it necessary to have a Therapist to work with DID? and what should qualities should I look for? My therapist is retiring. Thank you for taking the time to answer

Hi @scarletpear1945,

Thank you for your question! Firstly it can feel very daunting when your therapist is retiring as you have probably spent lots of time working with them on what is on your mind, developing trust and building a professional relationship between you both. Working with a new therapist can help you to process the loss of your previous therapist retiring.

I think therapy can be very beneficial for a variety of mental health issues including DID. Finding the right fit is all about finding a therapist that fits your personal preferences alongside the issues you are seeking therapy for. It's important for those seeking therapy to find a therapist that is open, empathetic and understanding whilst having the right skills to help you cope with a particular mental health diagnosis. 🌻

@Courageousangel91 Hi I have a hard time with autism and adults with disabilities what are some tips you find helpful

Hi Courageousangel91! Thank you for your question!

The best way to support another person, not just those with developmental challenges, is to be empathetic towards them. Try to understand what they are going through and see things from their perspective. Most of the challenges they face are not under their control. You can also help them with day-to-day tasks and socialization as well. It would also be an excellent idea to psychoeducate the person as well as those close to them.

@soulsings

Dear therapist I wanted to as you, that I get into a lot of extreme patterns of functioning meaning doing everything perfectly or not doing anything at all. Like I will be working out, eating healthy, doing everything correctly but if I mess up once and have one junk food item, I will screw all my progress and start not caring, I will be like now I have already messed it up, will start again and then I will get into a phase where I keep eating junk, not working out etc, so basically I lack balance in life. My question to you is how do I get that balance and why do people like me think or function like this?