The role of the therapist

In September, I started seeing a new psychiatrist that specializes in CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy). I was unsure of what CBT could bring, or even if I wanted to see a new therapist.

Therapists, in general, are nice people. They have an abundance of patience and hear some of our most deepest and darkest secrets. They provide a different perspective and sympathy that we aren't getting from other people in our lives.

But, like any other doctor, there are professional boundaries that need to be maintained. The scope of the relationship should never enter into the romantic atmosphere or the "friend" territory. There are ethical ramifications for this and entangling in a romance with a patient can lead to a therapist losing his or her license. And, unlike a typical friend/boyfriend/girlfriend relationship, we pay for their services.

On that note, the concept of whether or not I "liked" my therapists has evaded me. I've always taken the medical model perspective to a therapist/client relationship - we go to see them when we have a problem, and we pay for their services to help "fix" it. And I almost always don't "click" with my therapist right away. I stay with him/her because I believe down the road he/she will help me in some shape or form.

But after doing talk therapy for several years and not seeing it bear fruit, I was ready for a change and have been delighted by some of the results.

Upon meeting my new psychiatrist, I immediately "clicked" with her. I felt an immediate connection, a genuine-ness from her. At the end of the day, I guess I feel like she really cares about me. It's not that I believe that the other therapists I have seen didn't care about me, but I have never "clicked" or "liked" a therapist that instantly before. She seems genuinely nice, not just polite. I wish I could describe it better, but I can't.

Anyways, I've been seeing her the past few months. While I can't say concretely describe how I'm doing better, I do feel like I am doing better (which is what I guess matters at the end of the day).