I've figured out that I do better giving therapy services than receiving them.
1) Most therapists totally misunderstand me and are biased toward emotion and not attentive enough toward biology (my neurological quirks affect a lot, including indirectly affecting my emotional life). It's possible that the fact I've had only female professionals (a therapist and a tester) may have had something to do with this type of bias, based on stereotypes, but I also include therapists I've briefly spoken to about myself, such as professors, who have jumped to incorrect conclusions.
2) I have better problem-solving, insight, and correlation capacities than most people and do well on my own in figuring myself out and finding solutions. I have a good ability to step back and look at myself "objectively," as though someone else were looking at me, which helps. Watching myself use these abilities effectively for others has led me to value my talents even more lately.
3) I don't need support; I need understanding of the way I naturally am without being misunderstood or in any way punished for it. I can get this from good personal relationships and, as I'm realizing now, an accurate diagnosis of my Asperger by a specialist and not some hack who thinks she can identify it without any experience or training. The diagnosis will be therapeutic in and of itself. I'm seeing this guy on Thursday for further testing: Dr. Gale
1) Most therapists totally misunderstand me and are biased toward emotion and not attentive enough toward biology (my neurological quirks affect a lot, including indirectly affecting my emotional life). It's possible that the fact I've had only female professionals (a therapist and a tester) may have had something to do with this type of bias, based on stereotypes, but I also include therapists I've briefly spoken to about myself, such as professors, who have jumped to incorrect conclusions.
2) I have better problem-solving, insight, and correlation capacities than most people and do well on my own in figuring myself out and finding solutions. I have a good ability to step back and look at myself "objectively," as though someone else were looking at me, which helps. Watching myself use these abilities effectively for others has led me to value my talents even more lately.
3) I don't need support; I need understanding of the way I naturally am without being misunderstood or in any way punished for it. I can get this from good personal relationships and, as I'm realizing now, an accurate diagnosis of my Asperger by a specialist and not some hack who thinks she can identify it without any experience or training. The diagnosis will be therapeutic in and of itself. I'm seeing this guy on Thursday for further testing: Dr. Gale