Do most therapists understand self harm?

[my.lullaby]

I have my first appointment with a psychologist soon and I'm pretty nervous that she'll tell me it's immature or tell me to just stop, etc. Do most therapists get it & not judge?

Also, is it likely she'll ask me to see the cuts?

Thanks!

[Koriandr]

i think it normally depends on the psychologist an the waythey like toe do things.
most of the time i dont think they will ask to see your cuts but some may, an i think some therapists judge an some dont. it all depends i guess

good luck with your appointment
i hope it goes well. :)

[lilmissjay]

None of the ones that I have seen has judged me on my self harm and only 2 people (a nurse at a outpatient program and the psych that I see now) has asked to see my cuts/scars. They only ask to see them so that they know how to help you better. Like it's said above, it just all depends on the person and how they do things. I hope your appointment goes well. Take care :)

[lonely_hope]

I don't think I'd say that a lot of therapists completely understand self-harm, but they try to work with you to try and get a picture of what causes you to do it. I know some therapists have their clients sign a sort of "no harm" contract where you can't hurt yourself while you're seeing them. But they shouldn't tell you it's immature or anything. They typically try to be supportive in getting you to stop. Not quite sure about judging you for it, but they don't/shouldn't outright criticize you or say anything that would indicate judgment.

Some therapists may ask to see your cuts, but they don't force you to.

Good luck :) Hope your appointment goes well

[Niniane]

It depends on therapist. My current psychiatrist asked to see my cuts out of medical concern, but I've had many therapists that never asked it.
As for if most gets it, I guess it depends who you see, but all my psychologists were all right with it and didn't judge me. My current psychologist is very, very understanding.
Anyways, good luck for your appointment!

[FranticMind]

I have had therapists that have been really understanding with self harm an some that treated it like it was a taboo subject. and they only really ask to dee cuts/scars for medical reasons and assessment for risk etc.
good luck with your appointment.

[DontLookUp]

When i told my therapist, they were non-judgemental and pretty nice about it. But i could feel that they were quite unsure about how to approach it and also they spoke and thought about it in a very text-book kind of way. So on the one hand i think they are pretty clued up about it but i personally feel they don't really understand. Maybe that's just my experience. Also its likely they will ask to see your cuts, but if you say no they won't push it. It varies between therapists how they react , but if she's a good psychologist she won't react by telling you your immature. If you find she reacts badly its probably worth considering a different psychologist who is much more sensitive and aware about SI and will be able to actually help. Good luck with it!!

[Celticroots]

Most therapists should be understanding about self-harm. One therapist I had wasn't very understanding of it; she acted like she'd never heard of self-harm (she was fresh out of school.) She also made me sign a no-harm contract.

However, my current therapist is understanding about self-harm, and has never made me sign a self-harm contract. She also doesn't judge me if I wind up harming and has never told me to stop. If a therapist is any good, they wouldn't call you immature or tell you to just stop. I think most therapists know SI is a coping mechanism.

If they do ask to see you cuts, it is to see how badly you're hurting yourself. I only showed my injuries once.

I hope your appointment goes well!

[Kimaru]

I've been wondering lately, do they consider self harm to be addicting the same way most of us do? My psych understands why I do it and how it helps me but doesn't seem to understand why I can't just stop and replace it with reading or music or something.