Is it in any way wise to be in counselling with two different therapists at the one time? This hasn't happened yet but I am in a position where I could see two counsellors for different but maybe related matters. I tend to think its not a good idea and shouldn't let it happen.
It depends on a bunch of things. If you are seeing two therapists simultaneously, with similar styles, and working on similar issues, it can be confusing and, in general, is not recommended. However, if you are seeing them for different issues, let's say you're seeing one for help with coming out and acceptance issues, and another who is dealing with post traumatic stress or childhood trauma or something of that nature, then it can actually work well. Likewise, if you are seeing one for something very specific (EMDR, hypnosis, emotional release, or some sort of specialized work) then it can often help to accelerate the therapy. Or maybe you will have two therapists with very different approaches; one might be more cognitive-behavioral oriented, while the other might be more psychodynamic/insight based. While these could create some conflicts if they are working on the same issues (because of stylistic differences) it can also be beneficial in some cases. I know of a (very expensive) drug rehab facility where the clients have an hour of therapy every day, 6 days a week, with one of 3 or 4 different therapists... and they have worked it out in a way that dramatically increases the speed of the process, because all of the therapists work closely together with what's going on with each client. So it will depend on the approaches of the individual therapists, the issues being addressed, and, perhaps most importantly, their ability to coordinate with each other and share notes on your therapy. In any case, it's crucial that both therapists know you are seeing another therapist as well, and that both are in communication with each other. So the bottom line is I think in many cases it can be very beneficial, but it is definitely something you should be discussing with your current therapist. Don't worry about hurting his or her feelings; a good therapist will be aware of the risks and benefits as they relate to an individual client's situation and should be able to give you good input as to whether they feel it would be beneficial. Hope that helps.
Thanks Chip. That does help. It would be more or like you suggest. One would be a gay affirmative counsellor while the other would be a run of the mill counsellor I can access via work. I need to get over my problems with relating to others, maintaining relationships and coping with my reliance on drink for socialising. I also need some support to get over a few further things relating to my sexuality. I'm not sure the gay affirmative counsellors are the best all-round - just going on my previous experiences. I assume both would be CBT's. I usually get matched with CBT therapy.
For the problems maintaining relationships and coping with your reliance on drink, you would do a lot better with psychodynamic or insight-based therapy rather than CBT, as CBT is, for those sorts of issues, a band-aid rather than a long term solution. For help with simple behavior modification (where the cause of the behavior isn't important to the healing process), CBT can be very effective. However, managed care (and, presumably, government-funded insurance) loves CBT because it is short term and focused, even though it doesn't work very well for a lot of things. A good gay-affirmative therapist should have skill in longer term, insight-based approaches to healing so you might find that he or she can help you with the other issues as well.
You should discuss this with your therapists. Make sure they are aware of each others' existence. They'll probably approve and may even work together.
