Hi Sunny,

This is such an interesting post on many levels. I am struck by how you interpreted his physical movements--when he moved away from you. I believe it is a sign of the intimate nature of the therapeutic relationship, and how far you two have come. You immediately interpreted his movements (deliberate or not) and applied prior knowledge to arrive at your own understanding of the interaction.

This week at the end of my session, T was sitting in his chair. He usually stands up when I'm leaving and I was struck by how he looked-sort of tired, wiped out. I decided the session had been too much for him--that my depression was too ugly, too deep, too negative, that I had caused him unnecessary pain.

In intimate relationships, we read cues from one another well beyond what is expressed verbally. Body language and physical movement are a big part of the interaction. In both your case and mine, we interpreted T's physical movements and applied our current vulnerability to come to an understanding.

But what if your T had to release a little gas and my T had a cramp in his foot?