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Old Apr 22, 2018, 04:05 PM
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ElectricManatee ElectricManatee is offline
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Member Since: May 2017
Location: Earth
Posts: 2,515
I'm with luco in that this makes me a little uncomfortable. My therapy has a flavor of limited reparenting, and I could not handle it if my T yelled at me. I just don't think it would be helpful. The reparenting part has involved my T being accepting and nurturing and available to me to a fairly high degree (emotional availability, outside contact, and extra appointments). It is about having a deep connection with her, and her showing me that it's okay and safe to rely on her, even when I'm freaking out. And it's about me being able to trust her care and consistent gentleness so I can show her all the parts of myself and all the things I feel and think about myself. Kind of like how caring parents help their children grow by seeing them clearly and helping them make sense of themselves and the world.

It sounds like your T cares about you a lot, maybe to the point where she forgets her role as a therapist and lets her own worries about you and your future get in the way of your therapy. I have never found pushing and yelling and telling me what to do to be very helpful in changing my patterns. I need help hearing my own voice, not having my another's perspective foisted upon me, even if it's "for my own good." It sounds like your T has a fairly unconventional style (the teasing and sarcastic quips would make me crazy too), so I'm glad you feel like she's helping. I just don't think going off on you like that is what healthy (re-)parenting looks like.

ETA: OP, did you come from a family with people who yelled at each other in critical, harsh ways? I was just wondering because I could see you responding positively to the yelling now that it's coming from somebody who truly cares about you and wants what's best for you. Sometimes my nervous system seems to crave for my T to do the same things my parents did, and it can be surprisingly upsetting on some level when she doesn't fall into their (abusive) patterns. I think I would feel more comfortable at times if she acted in the way I have come to expect, rather than always being calm and caring and on my side.

Last edited by ElectricManatee; Apr 22, 2018 at 05:16 PM.
Thanks for this!
Anonymous45127, coolibrarian, LonesomeTonight