Hi Wikid,

Remember that just because you feel unimportant, doesn't mean you are.


My T used to forget about stuff lots of times - like a difficult subject would come up at the end, and she would say she wanted to start with that the next time but didn't bring it up. Or, she would give me a homework assignment, but never mentioned it or asked if I did it. Lots of stuff like that.

At first I felt glad about it, because it gave me a way to avoid the stuff I didn't want to address.
Then it started to bother me. I felt hurt and unimportant because if she cared enough about it (me) she would care enough to remember.

But one thing I eventually learned is that it is MY therapy and I am in charge. Whether I want to talk about something or avoid something, I can!
If I think an assignment is worthwhile and I want to do it, I should do it. And if I want to talk it over with T, *I* need to bring it up.
It is my therapy, not hers, so it should be my agenda.

It really has more to say about *you* than your T.

I'm not saying you shouldn't feel hurt that your T forgot about your dog. You do feel that way, it's a valid feeling. I would probably feel that way too.
But it is your responsibility to bring that up in therapy and talk about those feelings with your T. And THAT'S how your T can really help you with your biggest problem of communication - by giving you a safe place to communicate.