I know this sounds bizarre but I really didn't think I had to be very (or at all) vulnerable in therapy when I first walked in (I actually told my therapist this recently and she looked at me like I'd lost it and asked 'What did you think therapy was going to be like?').

I'd thought it would be a conversation that I could totally control and my therapist would -- at a significant emotional distance -- offer some dryly analytical suggestions on how I can deal with stuff and that would be it.

So, I'd thought 6 months would be more than enough time for my issues and I'd be done in much less -- am now looking at about a year in and probably at least a year or two more.

I really did NOT expect that the experience would leave me so emotionally wrought every single week to the point that I have to factor in my lack of productivity for a significant chunk of time post-therapy.