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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I had a crashout a few months ago-- work stress mostly, but also disgust for the political class and its supporters, fear for the future, and money anxiety (things are fine but if I lost my job I only have enough for a year of expenses before I'd have to hit up my retirement funds).

So I got my first-ever therapist. She's very nice. I tell her what I'm fretting about and she affirms that the situation is difficult. I explain where I feel stuck and she repeats the situation back to me, very sympathetically. If she were a bartender, she'd be going above and beyond. But I don't feel like I'm getting better? making progress? I'm no less stressed or stuck. I don't have any better way of coping. I used to be able to convince myself, for a while at least, that I'm very fortunate and it's not that bad and I should get over it. With her weekly affirmations, I can no longer gaslight myself.

So what would [i]good[/i] therapy look like? I don't even know what I want from it, or what's in the realm of the possible. Everyone says therapy therapy therapy for all our social/ emotional ills, but [i]what does that mean[/i]?? What is a therapy solution to modern-day malaise? Explain it like I'm 5. 
[/quote]

OP, here's the thing. I've been to therapy twice in my life, for two different, specific situations. Two different therapists, both were excellent. Both times, I was able to state clearly (or have the therapist get me to state clearly) exactly what my goals were, what I wanted to deal with/ feel differently about, and how I would define success.

I don't hear that from you. I hear general conversation about "fear for the future," "work stress," and "money anxiety."

Is she using the CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy) technique? I found that to be most effective. I will say, however, that I remember seeing the first therapist for several months and feeling like you do, like I simply repeat myself every week and nothing happened. Then all of a sudden, several months in, things changed. It seemed like overnight, but she told me it wasn't. It was the weeks of going through the same thing, hearing myself talk about it, before it finally broke through. [/quote]

^ Listen to this person.[/quote]

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