Hi, does anyone have Mr Woolley's email from the Earth Science museum? No worries if that can't be given out for any reason. I lost his business card, couldn't find it on the SF website, and thought I'd be lazy and ask Reddit before driving back to Gainesville.
Hi, a long vent here! Sorry if its worded poorly. I'm doing my best but am having trouble typing.
I have been seeing an autism affirming therapist for a while and she told me this week that she doesn't think she can help me and I need to find a new therapist. I was with another therapist at the same place before her, she was chronically ill and a wheelchair user like me and was also autism affirming. She did not know what to do while I was having meltdowns (even after we developed a plan ofc) and sent me to this therapist to learn DBT skills.
I had a meltdown a month ago in front of my new therapist and everything had been going so well but she started contradicting herself and worsening my meltdown by doing things we previously agreed not to do or talk about. A couple of weeks ago I was flaring up because of a sunburn and I have Lupus and it was so bad I felt so sick. I was also having a PMDD flare and was hallucinating, did not understand where I was or what was going on. Told her I wanted to chill out for the rest of the night and she kept trying to change my wording when I was said "everyone hates me" once like I am trying to calm down and use DBT skills like in supposed to, I can't ALSO focus on you correcting the language I'm using like "hate is a strong word, do you really mean that?" Obviously not we have talked about this before, now is not the time... I told her please leave it, I need a second. And so she cancelled my appointment and did not tell me the truth when I asked about fees and they accidentally charged me $175.
Still hallucinating (can confirm the events I am retelling though) the fee of course freaked me out a few days later so I called the front office crying and the owner picked up, told me it would be $100 and I didn't have to pay it today. Did not tell me when to call back and said I didn't need to cry today because I didn't need to pay it and could set up a payment plan. Insisted I do NOT hang up because she needs to help me, not listening to me explain what I need or what I'm trying to figure out, and then tells me I am not choosing to have a good day. I am "working myself up" even after she has completely ignored my attempts to explain to her. Told me to talk to my therapist about what happened with cancelling the appointment, I spend 3 weeks waiting not knowing if I'll be charged and then my next and most recent appointment BAM not only did the owner already charge me full price without telling me and no actually there was nothing my therapist could do about the fee (I am poor and disabled so this is scary, basically all of my money goes to these therapists) but at the very beginning of the appointment my therapist takes 20 minutes of MY time to explain that her and the owner don't think my therapist is helping me much and I should see someone in person 4 times a week.
I say oh great with what fucking money? And she says she will help me find therapists that are cheaper, in my area, and I tell her do NOT work with the owner to find new resources for me I want to work with, and excuse me for this, an ABA therapist or a therapist in a wheelchair who is autistic and makes schedules for autistic people with more needs and who need more support. Because obviously they do not know how to support autistic people past a certain level because they won't even admit that meltdowns ARE meltdowns, OR that they're making them uncomfortable. I got the list yesterday and every therapist on this list of 10 is either way too expensive, not in my area, or just a DBT therapist. Why would another DBT therapist help me, when we don't even practice DBT skills in our appointments anyways?
I am so sick of dealing with people who insist they can help, they HAVE to help and are some of the only people who can, talk shit about other support I have or my struggles, and then they turn around and completely change face when they realize how bad I am struggling. Like no the solution is not for me to be alone or try harder or any of that bullshit america is just so brainwashed with individualism you think being uncomfy is MY problem!! Being oppressed is my fault, somehow!! They will insist they can help, I tell them exactly how to help and what I need but every single person is exactly the same. They see a meltdown, oh boo hoo it scares them, sorry its a normal reaction but I'm angry right now and that's not a kind or logical scentence, but yeah they completely change face after that its always "I don't know what to do!" "I don't know how to help!" I already told you exactly what I need but you keep insisting that I should know how to handle and do everything as a severely disabled person and many neurotypical and able bodied can't even act normally towards me and help in the way that you asked me to describe. Its suddenly too scary and too much work for you even though I have to do harmful painful things to make others happy all the time with no acknowledgement. I know we shouldnt use lazy but I have no other words when I have had to work so hard. They see and hear my struggles and don't care, just keep suggesting stupid bullshit. I'm tired, and I'm scared to get a new therapist. I'm scared to even post this because I am getting better and can handle negative feedback but this just stung. I wonder if I will ever be around people who don't think this way of me.
Can anyone reccomend an ABA therapy facility within a 45 minute range? I'm an adult looking for 1 on 1 care. I know the risks with ABA which is why I'm hoping for reccomendations especially from people who work there themselves, I have heard to avoid BASS so far. Looking for progressive ABA and autism affirming approaches specifically. Alternative companies run by autistic adults would also be great but I haven't been able to find any so far.