No, I haven't found any good way to be present and ready right from the start and I have more or less accepted that this is the way things are for me.

My T is also very strict in terms of time. He will never go over even a single minute. This setting does create some sense of urgency because I know that if I waste 44 minutes and say something meaningful on the 45th minute then that's it - the session will end there and there is no way my T will prolong it.

I think what has helped me the most is over time just being able to accept it that it is difficult for me to open up and even after going to therapy for so long and that many sessions it hasn't become easy. Sure, it has become much easier than it used to be and I do feel myself much more comfortable but it seems that it is precisely because I have more or less accepted that this is how it works for me.