Advice In Finding An Ab Friendly Therapist

[diaperedspirit]

I have an anxiety/panic disorder that has really be acting up lately so I think it is time to find myself a therapist in my area(I have moved recently). Anyway, I would really like to find a therapist who is AB friendly. I would like to be able to discuss diapers as one of my coping mechanisms without the therapist trying to "fix" the AB part of me that I have no interest in "fixing", and have that distract from the real issue of the anxiety. So if anyone has any experience with this I would love any advice I can get. And if anyone knows of any AB friendly therapists in the Bay Area private message me and let me know. Thanks for your help!

[sarah_ab]

best bet is to look for a sex therapist.... many sex therapist see clmts for other issues as well and even if ab isnt sexual for you sex therapists often have more insight into fetish behavior .... but really find a therapiat you are comfortable with and whose philosophy of care you agree with and the rest shouldnt be an issue .... a first session with a therapist should be you interviewing them as much as them interviewing you

dont be afraid to ask where they went to school, what their specialties are, what their philosophy of care is .... and if you dont feel comfortable with them move on

[curiositykilledthecat]

i don't talk fetish with my counselor. i mentioned i have kinks but he hasn't pushed it.

[diaperpt]

There is a mix of professionals out there. My shrink thinks its good that I have an outlet while my wife's counselor tells her I have an 'addiction'. That woman doesn't know me and apparently had no idea of adults wearing diapers for other than medical reasons. I suspect that if I were her patient, she might be willing to take another tack on her views. Perhaps not, in which case, I'd look for someone else.

I don't think it's necessarily helpful for someone to keep looking for someone who will tell them what they want to hear, but you are simply looking for someone who will understand you. If you find the right counselor, you'll know because you'll feel comfortable and will come to feel you're making progress.

Good luck!

[diaperedspirit]

You make a great point diaperpt. The last thing I want from a counselor is someone who is only going to tell me what I want to hear. In the end I just want to have enough a sense of trust that I can bring my whole self to the table. That was something that I did not feel like I had with my last counselor, while he did give me some good techniques to help with the anxiety, I felt uncomfortable to totally open up so we never got at any of the root issues of my anxiety. I guess what I'm really looking for is a counselor who has some knowledge of the AB thing and not someone for who the idea is totally foreign.

[stephykate]

I believe most (not all) can be helpful to you. Whether they have a specific understanding of the ab/dl lifestyle the challenges of a sexual kink are similar.

I've had very good luck with "generalist" therapists. Their concerns are how you feel about the behavior. Is it something you enjoy and want to continue to do or is it something you would like to stop. I chose the former, the latter seems impossible.

As to a therapist diagnosing this as an addiction, she seems to have been diagnosing your wife's perception. I'm sure my wife would describe my behavior in a way that a therapist would conclude that.

[Rockies Fan in Diapers]

Does this whole topic mean that some therapists are more or less friendly & open to someone who is just a DL, or not, & is there is a difference in wanting a Counselor that is open & Friendly to AB instead of open & Friendly to DL? Just Curious,

Rockies Fan.

[diaperedspirit]

That was totally not my intent with the topic I just happen to be an AB. I actually don't understand some of the DL vs AB sentiment that sometimes pops up sometimes. In my opinion while different we are in this together. I was just being self centered by specifying AB. Sorry if it seemed like I was excluding DL's or others.

[Rockies Fan in Diapers]

That makes Sense. I have been seeing a new counselor since my old one left & I am getting ready to open up with this new counselor regarding my DL side, & I'm nervous & Apprehensive about the potential Response.

Rockies Fan.

That was totally not my intent with the topic I just happen to be an AB. I actually don't understand some of the DL vs AB sentiment that sometimes pops up sometimes. In my opinion while different we are in this together. I was just being self centered by specifying AB. Sorry if it seemed like I was excluding DL's or others.

[diaperedspirit]

That makes Sense. I have been seeing a new counselor since my old one left & I am getting ready to open up with this new counselor regarding my DL side, & I'm nervous & Apprehensive about the potential Response.

Rockies Fan.

I hope things go great when you open up to your new counselor. I admire your bravery in doing it .

[curiositykilledthecat]

It really comes down to why you feel the need to talk about your kink with your therapist. Many therapists avoid sexual discussions unless it is related to the core problem.

[Yvhuce]

It really comes down to why you feel the need to talk about your kink with your therapist. Many therapists avoid sexual discussions unless it is related to the core problem.

It may not be a sexual thing. As the initial post mentions it as a coping mechanism. In that context, being dishonest about wearing diapers to help relieve stress and anxiety could actually sabotage the counseling.

[Rockies Fan in Diapers]

Hi all,

Well as I mentioned Earlier in this Thread, I planned on opening up with my therapist regarding me being a DL. I know that based on some postings of other members opening up with a counselor or anyone for that matter, can be a very scary unnerving proposition. Since this is a realitively a new counselor since the old one left, but I feel that so far I do have his trust & since this is a part of me that could overlap with the original reasons for which I sought counseling, I found it necessary to be known. I was scared & nervous I will admit it. Before I really started talking about infantilism itself, I mentioned a few of the non-ABDL related 'Childish Considered" things that I do & I also mentioned that I was into Infantilism, & then near the end of our session, I asked him if he had ever heard of Infantilism, & He said that he had heard of it & knew a little bit about it, but not much. So I basically said that it included wearing Diapers & many other aspects too numerous too say in session, & he actually was very understanding, & I also told him that I didn't tell him about being an infantilist, because I wanted to change it or stop doing but rather since it is a part or aspect of me & since some of my issues that I am working on are I believe tied to me being an infantilist, & since it is coping mechanism for me, I felt it important to share. I also gave him the www.understandinginfantilism.org website & our sites address in case he wanted to learn more about it so that he can understand me better. He also said & agreed when I said that there is nothing wrong with doing what we do & he agreed. For me it is a form of stress relief, just a different form of stress relief. I also made a point to say that it doesn't involve real children at all Whatsoever. It will be interesting to see if & where this goes & I thought this was different in a good way from of other people's reactions that they have gotten.

Rockies Fan.

[diaperedspirit]

Thanks for sharing Rockies Fan! I will be interested to hear how it continues to go. I have not had time to seriously look for a counselor but I'm hoping I can do that in the next week or so sense things have slowed down a little in the rest of my life. Hope it continues to go well.