Therapy

People enter therapy for many different reasons. Most see a need to change and look towards their therapist to teach them, show them what and how to change. These people get easily frustrated in therapy. No therapist, unless they are very controlling, will sit and tell a patient what to change. However most therapists will sit and tell a patient how to change.
This is my experience in therapy. I did not enter therapy willingly, I was more or less forced into therapy. A person forced to be in therapy resists therapy in subtle ways. I certainly did. I showed that resistance by being offensive, demanding, and totally uncooperative. That worked against me and I was finally told my behavior was so offensive I suffered from Borderline Personality Disorder.
People who are forced into therapy do become offensive. Trying to work with such people is a heartless and often distressing job. I became even more offensive when I was given the label Borderline only proving my therapist right. I left therapy and spent a year discovering myself and making changes. I re-entered therapy willingly. I am not obnoxious, offensive, or demanding. I cooperate, listen without interrupting, smile and laugh, just a totally different patient because I am a willing patient.
Attitude made a difference in me, but so did the therapist. I’ve discovered just as people are different, so are therapists. Afterall therapists are really people too.
Therapy with a willing patient is far easier than therapy with someone forced. But the difference I’m finding is in the therapist themselves. Finding someone who is not controlling, demanding, or manipulative makes the difference for me.