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Old Nov 24, 2006, 02:22 PM
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Perna Perna is offline
Pandita-in-training
 
Member Since: Sep 2006
Location: Maryland
Posts: 27,289
There are no "wrong" questions but I have found the "best" ones for me to ask are really specific ones, those that check my assumptions of reality, like your T mentioned. Instead of "how do you feel about me?" a better question would be, "I think you feel X about me, is that true?" Because, often if someone says "I really like you" we don't believe them because we have other, lower level conflicting thoughts about ourselves and the other person and what we think they think. If we can check out these lower level thoughts of ours and get them out of the way when they're not true (or be brave and learn if they are true so we know where we stand) that makes things lots easier.

Keep the focus on what you think rather than on what the other person thinks and you can get your own thoughts and feelings in order better. I adopted an attitude toward my therapist a little like "don't care" since my role in therapy is different from my therapist's so I'd let her do her "thing" rather than trying to second guess her and what she is/is not doing/thinking. It's important to learn how I feel and think and what I'm doing; that's why I'm there. So, I talk as much as possible about myself, use "I" sentences and concentrate on answering any questions she asks rather than wondering why she's asking a particular question. I just "assume" she has a good reason and work at focusing on my "half" of the problem, understanding myself rather than her half which is helping me to understand myself.
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