My T seems to use something at the end of my session,usually because things are so intense, even when it doesn't seem to be too intense, it seems like I need some grounding. (only recently realize I even dissociate)

My T does this light stream exercise. I imagine a big healing light on top of my head shinning through out myself (she slowly goes through each section of the body)till it comes out my toes releasing all the bad stuff into the ground.
Or she does this tree exercise where I feel my roots (my feet) and go up till I can feel all of myself.

I am just wondering how your T's end things for you....

That is a cool exercise, exoticflower!!

This is something T isn't that good at...I think because he is reluctant to bring me out of really deep work sometimes and we work right up until the end.

I think what he usually does is try to make me laugh. Just to bring me back into the room and get my mind on something else.

Sometimes, he will have me stand up, so I am in a different position than when we were doing therapy, and he will hold my hands and we'll slowly turn around and I'll name things in the room.

I used to have him tell me a story at the end of session - he would tell me about something he had done in college or whatever - and that helped.

But we don't really have anything formal that we do every time.

Is this a common practice? My T has never once done anything like that. I've learned to glance at the clock so I don't bring anything huge up at the last minute (though I blew that rule out of the water in my last session!). My T usually just says, "Okay, we have to stop now," and that's it. But I'm usually fine with that. I suppose if I get really intense and need to be brought down, then I can tell her that.

Originally Posted by dreamseeker9

Is this a common practice?

For me, it depends on the session.

Today was a very lighthearted and comfortable session. So at the end we just hugged and off I went.

It's the really deep, dissociative session that I need help coming back from.

[sunrise]

We tend to work right up until the last minute and don't have a winding down exercise. Often my T ends up "leaving" me by moving from the sitting area to go over to his desk where he gets out his calendar to schedule me for the next time. And then when I get my stuff together, I will follow him there and pull my own calendar out and we will find a time for the next appointment.

Especially when the session has been pretty intense or we shared deeply, we will often have a nice hug at the door. Especially if I have been very upset in the session, the hug helps me feel better--loved, appreciated, reassured, etc. I think the physical touch is a great way to draw me back into "reality."

When we do EMDR, there is a wind-down section embedded into the EMDR protocol. I would not want to do EMDR without doing the wind-down.

[leahcim]

Exactly the same as DREAMSEEKER above. Regardless of whether it's a "heavy" or light session, no matter where we are at...it's "well, our time's up, we'll continue next time." I think that's a brutal way to do it, but if she started calming me down or changing the subject a few minutes before that, I would know the end of the session is near anyway.

I hope more people post on this because I think my T could use some suggestions on this topic.

[googley]

If I'm having a really intense session we will stop working on issues before the end. I will then have time to "come back". Usually we will talk about what I am going to do until the next session or something that is equally innocuous to help me settle.

[fallenangel337]

She usually just asks me what I've got planned for the next week or something to that effect.

[Rmdctc]

we usually just talk about light hearted things or the last 7-10 mins.

[peaches100]

If I've dissociated at all during the session, my t will have me do grounding exercises (name things i see in the room, things i hear, etc., or we'll throw a pillow back and forth 2 or 3 times) before i leave her office. If I've been really stressed out or crying alot in the session, she'll do the "light stream" exercise. Otherwise, we just kind of wrap things up. I always ask her at the end of a session what she wants me to work on, and she tells me. Then i stand up to leave.

WOW, I am glad I asked this, this is so interesting to hear how different T's do things. My 1st and 2nd T's didn't do this either but maybe because we didn't go as deep with most of of them.

It only takes a couple of minutes and it makes such a huge difference in so many ways for me. It helps ground me if I feel like my feet aren't there. But it also shows me how much my T cares, it is almost like she is really hugging me from head to toe but in a light stream kind of way that touches my entire self. It feels very loving and comforting to me in a spiritual kind of way. She is very much into holistic healing and this might be part of it. Sometimes I when I think of her, I think of this healing light over me radiating through me and it calms me.

[Tumnus]

Like others, my T just says, "We have to stop." Last time I could sense the time was up, and I think she knew it. She didn't say anything at all, just closed her notes and asked when I'd like to see her again. I kind of like that she's blunt. It works for me.