Posted by mair on February 7, 2003, at 8:00:19
In reply to Re: fickle therapists, posted by heather66 on February 7, 2003, at 2:03:12
Heather, I don't think you should give up on therapy, particularly when you're feeling as bad as you are. I think the 50 minute hour gets more productive as time goes on. I, too, used to avoid bringing things up until the hour was almost over. It used to take me that amount of time to screw up the courage to talk about some of the harder stuff. I've gotten considerably better but I still feel like I lose alot of time talking around things rather than about them. One thing I've done which has worked for me a few times is to mention to my therapist at the very end of the session whatever topic was most on my mind. At least she then knows to bring it up at the very beginning of the next session. Somehow it's easier (less risky?) for me to do something like virtually as I'm walking out the door, yet keeps me from never addressing it - again, it's easier for me if I have to answer her questions.
I guess what I mean to say is that learning how to use those 50 minutes is part of the process of learning to trust your therapist and with alot of people (definitely me), it's a process that can't be short circuited.
I've gotten very frustrated at times by the fact that I sometimes spend more time talking about the process of therapy than I do about whatever is happening in the rest of my life. I don't address things very directly so it's not an easy topic for me. Now, however, I can look at those sessions as building blocks, and not wasted time at all.
Mair
poster:mair
thread:35870
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20030201/msgs/36543.html