Hello! We are therapists Johanne Schwensen (Clinical psychologist) and Jakob Lusensky (Jungian psychoanalyst), counsellor colleagues and co-founders of the therapy platform It's Complicated. Ask us anything – about therapy, life as therapists, and finding the right therapist!

Our short bio:

"Life is complicated, finding a therapist shouldn't be.” This was the founding principle when we established the project and platform It's Complicated. We wanted to make it easier to get matched with the right therapist.

I, Johanne, practice integrative therapy (combining modalities like CBT, ACT, and narrative therapy) and Jakob is a Jungian psychoanalyst. Despite our different approaches to therapy, we share the belief that the match matters the most. In other words, we think that what makes for succesful therapy isn’t a specific technique but the relationship between the client and therapist. (This, by the way, is backed by research).

That’s why, when we’re not working as therapists, we try to simplify clients' search for the right therapist through It’s Complicated.

So ask us anything – about therapy, life as therapists, and finding the right therapist.

NB! We're not able to provide any type of counselling through reddit but if you’re interested in doing therapy, you can contact us or one of the counsellors listed on www.complicated.life.

Our proof: https://imgur.com/a/txLW4dv, https://www.complicated.life/our-story, www.blog.complicated.life

Edit1: Thank you everybody for your great questions! Unfortunately, time has run out this time around. We will keep posting replies to your questions in the coming days.

Edit2: More proof of our credentials for those interested.


Jakob: https://www.complicated.life/find-a-therapist/berlin/jungian-psychoanalyst-jakob-lusensky

Johanne: https://www.complicated.life/find-a-therapist/berlin/clinical-psychologist-johanne-schwensen

Edit 3.

Thank you again all for asking such interesting questions! We have continued to reply the last two days but unfortunately, now need to stop. We're sorry if your question wasn't answered. We hope to be able to offer another AMA further on, perhaps with some other therapists from It's Complicated.

If you have any further questions, contact us through our profiles on the platform (see links above).

Comments: 893 • Responses: 25  • Date: 

CapWild537 karma

How can you tell if you have the wrong therapist?

ricardo-5566764 karma

Great question. This has so much to do with gut feeling. If you just don’t gel with the person, feel judged, feel no progress, feel no rapport, and not enough trust, those are signs that you need to start looking for another therapist.

angstyimpala92 karma

What are you supposed to gain from therapy, or how is the therapist supposed to direct you? Form a plan of care type thing with you?

I feel my therapist just asks how I am sleeping and eating and then lets me talk the 40 minutes..

ricardo-556697 karma

Johanne: What you’re supposed to gain from therapy depends on why you’re seeking therapy. What I, as a therapist, want on behalf of my clients is that they learn to externalize their problems, so that the problems have less of a grip on their lives. Some therapy forms are more directive than others: CBT & ACT, for instance, are behavioral therapies where the therapist compassionately “directs” the clients using techniques, exercises, etc.

carl3y288 karma

When I'm asked "what do you want out of therapy?" sometimes the only answer I have is "to get better".

What are some techniques I can use to figure out what "better" really means to me?

ricardo-5566402 karma

Johanne: The techniques I use to find out what my clients mean when they say they just want to get better, are questions exploring values. Usually a “better state” is acquired by living a life more in line with your values, but if you’ve been in a depressive or anxious state for a long time, finding out what your values are and what brings your life meaning is difficult and might require a good therapist to help you uncover.

rudbek-of-rudbek120 karma

What kind of accreditation does a Jungian psychoanlyst typically possess?

ricardo-556691 karma

It really depends. Some Jungian analysts are already psychiatrists and/or trained psychologists (with or without a degree as psychotherapists) when starting their training. The two Jungian institutes in Switzerland can also accept trainees without a psychology degree but with a master in humaniora (lay analysts).

rudbek-of-rudbek46 karma

More specifically, what about you? Your partner is a psychologist but you say you are a psychoanalyst. Is there some type of accreditation necessary to call yourself a psychoanalyst? My understanding is that psychologists have PhD's while psychiatrists have MDs. And a psychoanalyst has a........

stubblenub13 karma

Accreditation has more to do with the program that one graduates, not the individual. I’m more interested in their professional credentials, which isn’t listed here or on their website. A therapist in the U.S. has to have a state license to practice, which usually required graduating from a program that has been approved by an accrediting body. It seems like these two may be Danish, so the credentialing process is most probably very different. Either way, it seems odd that they have dodged multiple questions about their professional credentials.

ricardo-556625 karma

There’s, unfortunately, a lot of questions that we haven’t gotten to yet (90 minutes, 450+ questions)... ;)

Johanne: I did my entire education at the psychology department of the University of Copenhagen, specializing in clinical psychology and interning as a narrative therapist. Then in Berlin I got into behavioral modalities (CBT and ACT) and am now practicing an eclectic mix of the three forms of therapy :)

Jakob: I’m a Zurich-trained Jungian Psychoanalyst (Analytical Psychology). The institute I went to is called ISAPZurich (there are two Jungian institutes in Zurich). It’s five-year training program focusing on Analytical psychology. I don’t have my master’s in psychology but in Education from Blekinge University in Sweden.

In Germany we are both accredited as a Heilpraktikers for psychotherapy.

ricardo-55662 karma

There’s, unfortunately, a lot of questions that we haven’t gotten to yet (90 minutes, 450+ questions)... We post this reply here as well.

Jakob: I’m a Zurich-trained Jungian Psychoanalyst (Analytical Psychology). The institute I went to is called ISAPZurich (there are two Jungian institutes in Zurich). It’s five-year training program focusing on Analytical psychology. I don’t have my master’s in psychology but in Education from Blekinge University in Sweden.

Johanne: I did my entire education at the psychology department of the University of Copenhagen, specializing in clinical psychology and interning as a narrative therapist. Then in Berlin I got into behavioral modalities (CBT and ACT) and am now practicing an eclectic mix of the three forms of therapy :)

In Germany we are both accredited as a Heilpraktikers for psychotherapy.

BusinesslikeIdiocy111 karma

should i like see a psych for a diagnosis then find a therapist?

ricardo-5566110 karma

If you mean psychiatrist, that depends on your specific situation, severity of symptoms, if your insurance asks for a diagnosis etc. However to start a therapy usually a diagnosis isn’t a precondition. Some psychotherapists/psychologists are also trained and allowed to give a diagnosis.

hippiegodfather84 karma

What do you do when someone's mental illness protects itself by throwing up defense after defense, polluting the sick person's mind, brainwashing them?

ricardo-556690 karma

Johanne: In one way or another, our illnesses or the things we suffer from, resist change because they play an important role in our coping with daily life. For instance, someone with a lot of social anxiety, which manifests in isolation, isolates him or herself to avoid the potential pain of awkward encounters and simply dealing with others. Dealing with these defenses/barriers/resistance is at the heart of almost all therapy regardless of modality, so thoroughly answering your question would have to explain how therapy works.

senseless283 karma

How do you start therapy? I have never went but have been seriously considering it. My concern is when talking with someone who I do not know about personal problems, how do you get to the core of what's bothering you without first establishing a relationship with the therapist?

ricardo-556644 karma

Jakob: How do you start therapy? We made some attempts to answer that question in our comments above. Here is another article that Johanne wrote sometime ago.

https://blog.complicated.life/5-things-to-consider-when-choosing-a-therapist/

A good therapist can relatively quickly establish a relationship with a new client. Naturally, this is a very different relationship than you would have to, for example, a friend. The advantage of this relationship is that the therapist is trained to stay non-judgemental and objective when helping you work through your problems.

Anotherdmbgayguy53 karma

What is the difference between therapy and psychoanalysis.

Also, do you use null hypotheses in psychodynamics, and if so, how?

ricardo-556653 karma

Psychoanalysis is a form of therapy. If focuses on studying the unconscious motivations in a human being (something which for example cognitive behavior therapy/CBT doesn’t focus on).

Top_Island45 karma

What do you find is effective in addressing thought disorder symptoms or rigid delusional thinking?

ricardo-556656 karma

Johanne: Specifically in my practice, I’ve had the best results when I’ve combined narrative methods (Michael White’s Maps of Narrative Practice explains these methods super well) with ACT methods (The Happiness Trap is my favourite book explaining the ACT methods). I feel these two modalities are the most effective in helping people believe less in what their thoughts are telling them.

_et_tu_brute_41 karma

How many appointments should you work with a therapist to know if they are a good fit for your needs?

ricardo-556647 karma

Sometimes you know just from the initial consultation that the “match” isn't right or that something doesn’t feel right. Usually, I would say 5-6 sessions should give you a good idea if this a person that can help you work through what you came in therapy for. That said, it’s not uncommon in longer-term therapy processes to start out with ambivalence and/or having negative feelings about one’s therapist. This doesn’t have to mean that it’s the wrong therapist for you. It’s important to try to speak about such feelings to one’s therapist, since from a psychoanalytic perspective this can also relate to the field of “transference”.

DebMo_Cu31 karma

How successful is inpatient therapy for someone with bipolar 1 during a manic phase? And what does success even look like?

ricardo-556654 karma

We are both therapists without a lot of psychiatric experience, and so we, unfortunately, can’t answer this in a good, in-depth way.

newtoallofthis225 karma

Where do you start? I mean I think I need Therapy, but how does one identify what kind of therapist you need, and if they are actually any good?

Edit: I mean like do I need a therapist, a psychiatrist, a psychotherapist, Jung/Freud, are they all just talking or can some of them proscribe stuff?

ricardo-556618 karma

Jakob: Only a psychiatrist can prescribe medication. I would start researching some different schools psychotherapy (such as CBT/Cognitive behavior therapy, psychoanalysis and/or systemic therapy) to see what “clicks” with you (there’s also some great subreddits for different approaches of therapy) Perhaps the next step is to book an initial consultation with a therapist or two. After that you will probably know a little bit more what feels right to explore further.

SkaBob4225 karma

What can I ask a new therapist, to make sure they're actually going to help me build tools and techniques to deal with my issues, rather than just charging me to listen to weekly progress reports?

Also, since when are so many therapists just charging for listening to weekly progress reports, and why doesn't the professional community they belong to censure that sort of behavior?

ricardo-556616 karma

Johanne: I would say in the first session something along the lines of “do you have a proactive, collaborative, homework-based way of working, because that’s what I need”. I don’t know how to answer your second question, because I didn’t know that this was something more and more therapists did, hehe.

ricardo-55661 karma

Johanne: I would say in the first session something along the lines of “do you have a proactive, collaborative, homework-based way of working, because that’s what I need”. I don’t know how to answer your second question, because I didn’t know that this was something more and more therapists did, hehe.

aerialpoler24 karma

I've been considering therapy for a couple of years as I'm still dealing with a lot of anxiety from a past relationship. What could I expect from my first therapy session?

ricardo-556629 karma

Jakob: It really depends on the type of therapist you meet and his or her approach (a CBT therapist will often make a therapy plan since they do shorter, solution-focused processes). That said, usually, you will be asked to share parts of your biography (family and relationship history) and for what reasons you are coming into therapy (and perhaps also the question “why now?”). Some therapists ask a lot of questions while others take a more listening approach.

hippiegodfather10 karma

What do you do when the mental illness is stronger than the personality it infects?

ricardo-55667 karma

I think it’s really important to first seek evaluation from a psychiatrist. Mental illness can be a difficult term as it’s not something static or fixed, but symptoms and suffering can go through many phases of change. Finding the right therapist can help you work through your problems and challenge the narratives you have around your suffering.

BoinkBoinkEtAliae7 karma

What is the criteria for a "good fit" specifically?

ricardo-556610 karma

The “good fit” is often referred to as the “therapeutic alliance” in research literature. The criteria are known to be extremely individual: trust your intuition and ask yourself if you can imagine finding trust and alliance with this person. If the answer is yes, you are off to a good start.

WeightsNCheatDates6 karma

Is video/text messaging with therapists furthering the gap of human interaction, which can be seen as a possible cause for many issues that millennials face?

ricardo-55669 karma

It’s a difficult question to answer with a yes or no. Many people can now benefit from getting easier access to a therapist. I meet myself some clients online, but that is usually after having met first in person. I personally think that therapy online over video can be just as beneficial as meeting in person. It’s not the right medium for everyone though. Chat/text message therapy I, unfortunately, haven’t got any experience with.

geekything2 karma

Why is it so expensive?

ricardo-55663 karma

Psychotherapy can be a big private cost if you’re from a country where the health care system doesn’t encompass and cover psychotherapy. Germany, where Johanne and I are based, is pretty unique in the way that the public health insurance covers even long-term therapy.. On It’s Complicated, LINK, the price ranges between 50-130 euro and some therapists offer a sliding scale.

To therapists defense, it should also be said that many people spent 5-10 years of education and training before becoming licensed. Furthermore, when note-taking and admin work is factored in, what you pay for is not just the 50-60 minute session, but also the time that your therapist spends on your case before and after the session.

GennyGeo1 karma

Why do you look like Nick Mullen?

ricardo-55662 karma

Doesn’t everyone look like him these days? ;)