Did I accomplish all my goals before pausing therapy? Not even close! As I’ve mentioned before, I’ve found ERP to be extremely challenging and as a result didn’t have the desire to go about it in the traditional way. (I picked up quite a few new compulsions during these last two years, which makes sense because the CDC encouraged me to!) I also wanted to prevent my OCD from interfering with my relationship. My goal was to get my contamination OCD under better control and return to pre-pandemic levels of functioning. For the past few months, I have been doing Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) therapy for my OCD.
#Allison raskin payless how to#
Speaking up in therapy helps you learn how to speak up everywhere!ĭespite my confidence in the decision, my reasons for pausing therapy this time around are complicated, which is why I needed my therapist’s help pulling the plug. This also applies to talking to your therapist not just about pausing or ending treatment, but also disclosing if something isn’t working for you or if you want more of a clear treatment plan than they are currently providing.
The experience of having the “I want to stop” conversation is often a learning moment in and of itself. And often the mere practice of having a difficult conversation with your therapist helps you navigate tough conversations in the real world. You don’t have to worry about offending them or think about what’s best for them. While the therapeutic alliance is the single most important part of the whole process and your connection should be collaborative, you don’t have to tend to your therapist’s feelings in the way you would in any other relationship. That is what is so beautiful about the therapeutic relationship. Now I know that therapists are not supposed to take this kind of stuff personally. I thought it would be a personal affront to them and I was worried about hurting their feelings. I used to fear talking to therapists about taking breaks or trying a new type of treatment with someone else. Taking breaks from therapy isn’t new for me, but what is different is feeling more confident in the way I navigate them.
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