i'm late to this thread (been avoiding it!) but i'm at a place right now where i really appreciate the title & what you've had to say, FG. even though i haven't processed the trauma in detail (at all) just yet, i still find it useful to use my skills of compartmentalising so it doesn't taint the rest of my week. i relate strongly to the urge to "wallow" (and relate strongly to that word!) but i told myself about two weeks ago to just pull myself together, and i've had a very productive and satisfying two weeks. austin-t calls it containment and thinks it's a great skill that i've been able to master, but now i have to work towards letting it out a bit during therapy instead - which will be hard, i know, but will be healthier than being emotionally contained in therapy and dysregulated during the week.

i had a very cut/dry therapist before i met austin-t; we did CBT and it was awful. but i know the approach itself works very well for me, and i specifically requested it again with austin-t (i go in and say "i want serious CBT this week!") and because he allows room for emotions to be processed when i want to i've gained more in the 8 months i've been with him than the 6 years combined i'd been with any other therapist.