Sannah,

Yes, there are some present-day issues we could work on and discuss. At times when I get overwhelmed by trauma work and disintegrate (as I am doing now), we usually stop the trauma work and do either DBT or CBT stuff. I'm able to tolerate that pretty well, as it doesn't involve discussing my traumas from childhood, and so I don't get triggered into a needy state. The only problem with doing CBT and DBT is that my deeper, most troubling issues are kind of bypassed and not talked about -- which leaves me feeling like we're only doing a band-aid fix, and not addressing the source of my issues. Still. . .I keep wondering if I am simply not "able" to tolerate trauma work, which is why I repeatedly get into a situation where I get too overwhelmed with pain, and then experience great needs that can't be fulfilled, which leads to disappointment and depression. I feel that despite learning coping skills, my personality, my constitution is perhaps too sensitive, and maybe trying to work on my traumas is just retraumatizing me further. My t is fine with doing CBT or DBT and avoiding trauma work, but her speciality is in trauma, and she sees addressing trauma as important and necessary for healing.