I've wondered about this. My therapist said we could do the free association thing, if I wanted to try it. (Aargh -- why doesn't he ever say HE wants me to try something!) But he said we should start meeting twice a week before embarking on it...something about the deeper stuff that comes up, etc. etc. I can't afford twice a week right now though.

I've gotten the feeling with my current T that we're at odds about what therapy is supposed to do. I try to bring up goals or experiences in the real world, mistakes I've made, things I want to change, strategies I'd like to try. But he was kind of prickly last time and said, "I'm not into doing weird little projects." I think he's an inner-transformation type of person, but I've only just begun to realize this. Maybe he assumed I knew what psychotherapy is all about. I do know something about it, but I was astonished to realize that maybe I'm not supposed to be talking about my real-life goals and projects. Kind of still reeling from that...

Did I make a mistake, or is this guy just an a-hole?