What do you normally talk about in therapy? I'm curious.

I feel like therapy is a very useful tool, but I'm not getting much out of it right now. I think it's mostly my fault for not knowing what to talk about.

My therapist always starts off by asking me how my mood is, and I tell him. Then he asks how I've been since we last talked, and I tell him. Then he usually asks me what I want to talk about, and that's where I say I don't know.

[wiretwister]

Originally Posted by bluebicycle

What do you normally talk about in therapy? I'm curious.

I feel like therapy is a very useful tool, but I'm not getting much out of it right now. I think it's mostly my fault for not knowing what to talk about.

My therapist always starts off by asking me how my mood is, and I tell him. Then he asks how I've been since we last talked, and I tell him. Then he usually asks me what I want to talk about, and that's where I say I don't know.

I take my journal , plus I write out questions or thoughts for her so I have it in hand ...

[Skeezyks]

The Skeezyks doesn't have a therapist any more. With the last one I had, she used to tell me about her horses & I told her about what I was doing on-line... it all seemed rather pointless...

Originally Posted by wiretwister

I take my journal , plus I write out questions or thoughts for her so I have it in hand ...

Yeah, that's a good idea. I should better prepare... I haven't been preparing for my sessions at all.

Originally Posted by Skeezyks

The Skeezyks doesn't have a therapist any more. With the last one I had, she used to tell me about her horses & I told her about what I was doing on-line... it all seemed rather pointless...

lol. That's unfortunate!

[violetgreen]

For years, I wouldn't talk about my biggest problems in therapy, only the daily, miserable stuff that were symptoms of the big elephants. Then, she helped me to cope with my miserable life by repetition of mindfulness, distress tolerance skills, work on interpersonal skills, and other concrete skills (DBT & CBT).

But after the elephants got recognized at the end of January, therapy has switched, and I'll bring something I need clarification on, like "my mom betrayed me again", "I promised to do something for my daughter that I didn't want to do", "my husband is pressuring me to pick one job over another", stuff like that. Issues I had when I was barely coping, but didn't even come up for discussion.

In between therapy sessions, I'm solving interpersonal problems that would have stumped me back when I was really miserable. In the past, when I only brought my misery, my therapist worked with that, because that's where I was. This post is all me, me, me, which is what therapy is. But, the relationship between me and my therapist is key also. I trust my current one, but I had a psychoanalyst in the past, and the most positive decision I made after 5 years was to terminate the therapy.

As part of my eekly homework I am directed to show up to each session with an agenda of what I want to talk about.

[Standup2me]

I don't have one, and don't know what good it would do. If my issue is because I am BP, what can a T do to help me?
I had a terrible experience with a T about two years ago. She said that she was experienced in working with BPs, and then when she asked when I thought of sui* last she was shocked that I would even consider it. "It's not normal"... huh? It was awful

So, what can I get out of sessions with a T? Why do you go?

[hopeless2015]

We have issues we review each session and we've started on goal setting so we cover that and then the next move. Personally I'm overwhelmed with the mess my life has become so working on cleaning up is a huge burden, it's helping to talk it out and take things one step at a time

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[Trippin2.0]

We did goal setting at the very beginning... So it helps that I have a clear direction.


What do we talk about, everything relevant, because its all such a tangled mess.


Main focus bipolar wise, is to help me minimize and manage my stressors (and I have quite a few huge ones) so that it doesn't fling me into a terrible episode.


I like to strategize, so it's cool that my T understands and encourages this, but also reminds me when to just let go of the reigns a lil and chill out. I also appreciate and respect the fact that he gives me a reality check when I need one.


I also attend DBT, (my T facilitates the group) which should help with at least 2 of my therapeutic goals.


Therapy has been quite helpful to me, how do I know?


Well my life doesn't feel like a series of train wrecks and my loved ones have commented on the improvement in my behaviour and coping skills.