YIKES! Nervous about facing T tomorrow...

During our group session on Tuesday, I was very agitated at how my T was treating one of the other group members....it happened to be the group member that referred to me as a "drama queen"....so I'm sure that my reaction has something to do with me as well...there's always a hidden lesson in there somewhere (possible lightbulb: protecting my abuser?).....

Anyway, I ended the session saying that I was agitated with him and then followed up on the blog notes saying that I was angry, felt he was being pompous and that he was on a scolding power trip.

I have my one-on-one with him tomorrow....and I'm cringing at the thought of going.....

Do you ever talk about things that happen in group therapy in your individual session? Or do you try to keep them separate? If you keep them separate, maybe he will not mention it, and you can take it up again at group. Maybe others also felt he was being pompous and scolding and there will be "safety in numbers" in discussing this at group (if this is the sort of thing you discuss in your group).

Thanks, sunrise....

We sometimes talk about group stuff in my individual therapy...so it certainly could come up. I guess I'll need to prepare myself for the possibility that it'll be discussed.

My advice is to just be naturally honest with yourself and him about how you feel. You don't have to push any topic you don't want to address unless he insists. But you have a right to experience all your emotions regarding group therapy. It is his job to help safely guide you through those experiences. I predict you are going to have a wonderful session today :-)

Welp, my session was pretty much a waste....

I didn't feel like talking...I didn't want to address anything. Our focus was mostly on what can get me through this week, with how tired and overwhelmed I am....basically, him trying to get me to cut out some of the things I have planned so that I don't get too run down and end up sick and missing more work. I've had wayyy too much of that.

At one point, he asked if there was anything I wanted to address....and I brought up about how angry I was with how he was in group. He said, "Go on"....and I said, "I don't want to".....And that was the end of that. I was just too tired and I didn't want to get into anything that would exhaust me even more.

He did say that we could address it in group next week, if I want to. We'll see. I am hoping that I regain some energy real soon, or I'm going to crash....

take care of yourself. you are doing well

merry xmas

((((( mixed))))) sorry that session did not go as it should have for you :-(

Thanks...

I am disappointed....I froze when he told me to "keep going". I'd rather him tell me why he feels I was so angry with him - than for me to try to figure it out. Ugh. I feel like he knows more about me than I do...and that bugs me. Like he has me all figured out, but wants me to figure it out for myself.

If I couldn't bring myself to talk to him about it during our individual session, I doubt I will have the guts to bring it up during group with an audience.

Yes! I know this feeling, MUE. Sometimes I feel like T knows the answers to his questions better than I do. He sears he doesn't--but it can be hard to believe.

The challenge of therapy can be exploring what our feelings are, in our own minds. This seems like it is something important to continue picking at--whether in group or individual, that it is so raw means it can be really helpful to uncover more.

Not talking about it last week doesn't mean you can't try again next time. I always have to tell myself that, as it can take me a month or more to broach some subjects!

I'm glad someone can relate.....

I guess I'm also afraid, too, that I'll say something that's offbase....or make it more than what it really is....or maybe it's just that I'm mortified about my feelings.

MUE, it seems like you often get more grief than help from participating in the group therapy. Do you think you benefit from being a part of that group? Whose idea was it for you to join that group, yours or your T's? Is it possible that you'd be better off just doing the individual therapy?

Oh Dream, you know so well....

I do get a lot of grief from being in this group. And it seems to be part of the magic of the growth of it....I guess. It's a process, a learning process....

My T is a group-pusher, LOL....He talked to me about group during my very first individual session with him....and I know he offers group to every client that comes in there...because 2 of my friends went to see him before me, and both of them were offered to join group.

He feels very strongly that the group process - gestalt based - is an experience that has great benefits to anyone and everyone. I have learned a ton, but yes, it comes with pain as well....But the key is that there are reasons for the pain - and figuring it out, understanding it, etc. are part of the process.

I don't know if it's what I need right now in life, with everything else that I'm going through....but I have become attached to some of the people in my group, I look forward - at times - to learning more - and to seeing my T more than just 1x/week...and I believe that my T is able to learn more about me through group as well, about how I interact with others.

Or, perhaps I am looking at this through rose colored glasses...

The "issue" rears its head for you to face and deal with.......

But you must be the one to figure it out! He might know a few things, like he can see if you are upset, angry, agitated, anxious, etc., but he can't know the details. Everyone's story is different. He is there to help YOU figure out you.



Yes!!!