what would you do if you felt your therapist didn't fully believe you about something?

In the explanation of your question, you mention that you have asked your therapist "outright if she believes certain things and it's pretty clear she doesn't." Your use of "pretty clear" leaves me unsure that you are understanding your therapist's feedback. You never said that she did not believe you, so what is unclear to me is what makes you think she doesn't believe you? There is a difference between "pretty clear" and "absolutely clear."

Therapy is designed to help a person cope with their emotions and their actions. Trust seems to be an issue with you. Perhaps your therapist is using a therapeutic technique or exercise to help you cope with your trust issue. Perhaps your therapist is putting herself in the roll of the antagonist to teach you how to cope when you are faced with a trust issue. My suggestion is to hang in there. Your therapist may be trying to prove a point, or setting the scene for you to learn how to cope properly with certain issues.

If you feel I am way off base here, then the diplomatic thing to do is just ask your therapist why you feel she doesn't believe you? Perhaps that is what she wants you to do. It's all about communication and that's why you're there...right?

Hi.Bonnimae is wrong.I agree with Adriana and James.Its your money and you need to find someone you trust and who trusts and believes you-not someones who cold and clinical.They already have their own issues and should have sorted them out before choosing therapy as an occupation where their issues can influence the dynamics of a therapy session(and the patient healing or not) through their behaviour and unconscious beliefs and actions.

You say that you dont feel capable of shopping for a new therapist but in reality if your current therapy is giving you more things to worry/stress about then wouldn't it be less stressful in the long run to find a different therapist now that your more comfortable with then to continue on and have not only the issues that your going to therapy for and then of top of that that your therapist doesnt believe you, then you in turn dont trust her,then you find she doesnt listen to you and etc etc.

Maybe you could just her straight out that you need someone that will trust you and how it effects you that she doesn't trust you and see her response.

Maybe she will respond in a cooperative way but keep in mind that she might not and that she might not be able to trust you because of her own predjudices and beliefs and she might not be able to change-or worse yet she might not be willing to change, so if trust is NO 1 priority to you then maybe it would be better finding someone else and save yourself the stress in the longrun?

She may be having a hard time believing you about sine things because she is obviously going to know that you are abusing your meds by mixing them with caffeine pills, like you confessed in another post; she knows she can't trust what you say. Why should you be able to demand that she trust what you say, but you are afraid you do not trust her because she does not believe everything you say? That is not what a therapist is for, to tell you everything you want to hear. I would never expect that from my therapist. Trust goes two ways.

I think that she isnt doing her job if you don't think u can trust her. But on the other hand i think that she has a right to her opinions, but she is suposed to be on your side helping you and guiding you. I know some great theripists, but it depends on where you live. I think it is important that you can trust her, and tell her, "its important that i can trust you and if you cant trust me, how am i suposed to return that trust?" Or something like that. Basicly tell her how you feel and maybe and try to work it out with her.

technically, its not her job to believe you. her job is to listen and give advice.

and if prompted, she will most likely give you this response.

finding a new therapist isn't going to change that fact.

*EDIT* no, mary. i am not wrong. saying that a therapist must believe everything the client says, whether it be "i can talk to animals" or "the ghost of your dead father is haunting me" is idiotic. that would be like saying a lawyer must believe the client is innocent in order to prove it.

lmao.

Find somebody you can trust.

just tell her... it's your money.