LydiaB, I think telling him how heard and understood you felt in the last session would be a wonderful way to begin your next session! I hope you will tell him in person so you don't miss the opportunity that is in this for you.

I tell my therapist a lot of what I don't like, what isn't happening that I want to happen (in therapy) and what effect her words have. For example when she says 'everyone feels that way at times or in that situation' I just hate it. She still says it and I still hate it and now we laugh about it. In fact, she has prefaced it with "Now, I know you aren't going to like hearing this, but..." and we laugh and she goes ahead and says it.

I also have told her things like "I like that you pulled your chair closer last session. It really felt good to me, and felt comforting and really connecting. It helped me talk more". And, because I said in the beginning that I didn't want or expect self-disclosure from her, and wouldn't and didn't ask personal questions, she disclosed anyway at times. I didn't like it but never said anything. I've worked through my feelings about that and recently when she shared something, I realized that I liked it and it was helpful and I was able to tell her right then that I appreciated her doing that and how it was helpful.