i am suppose to bring my journal to t this week and read from it. has anyone done that before?
i am afraid of what t will think, there is a lot of really weird stuff in there. i didn't know i would be sharing it.
what was your t's reaction when you did read it or they read it?

[Indie'sOK]

I do it every week...it helps me not only to remember which topics I want to discuss, but certain thoughts or ideas as well. T doesn't mind - I haven't noticed her caring one way or the other. I'm sure most are used to it because it's a common thing for clients to do.

[TinaL]

I did last week. I have one of those fat books. It fits in my purse. I took it in and what i did when I journal is I left blank spaces in spots. When he and I went through it he wrote a little in it too. It was a really neat thing. Helped me see that he was really engaged.

[PTSDlovemycats]

I have read a few things to my T when she was asking me to record a bunch of stuff that was triggering me. It felt weird at first. I wanted her to read it herself but she made me read it out loud to her. I wasn't a huge fan of that at first...

[BlessedRhiannon]

Originally Posted by jbmomg

i am suppose to bring my journal to t this week and read from it. has anyone done that before?
i am afraid of what t will think, there is a lot of really weird stuff in there. i didn't know i would be sharing it.
what was your t's reaction when you did read it or they read it?

I always bring my journal to sessions with me, and often read my entries to my T. She encourages it, especially when I'm having trouble expressing myself verbally. My T always has me read it, she won't read it for me. Her reaction is always acceptance of what I've written. There are times I can't read everything I've written, and I tell my T that there are parts I'm not ready to share yet. She just encourages me to share when I'm ready.

[jazzy123456]

I don't think its anything to necessarily be scared of.. your concerns should be validated and heard... my therapist was welcoming every time I brought my journal to therapy...

the first time I did her response was...

" do you know how many other people need to hear this? do you know how many other people struggle with the same issues? "

your therapist can't force you to read anything you don't want too.
Typically, I skip around in my journal..from most comfortable entry first
and then maybe to something more serious...

Good Luck

[with or without you]

I don't have a journal. I have written various "essays", however...things I can't seem to bring up out loud. I mail them to her in between sessions.

I've done that from time to time. It really isn't too bad. You can pick and choose what you decide to read.

[granite1]

i created a therapy journal that i was going to write things in that were hard for me to tell T but i have yet to be able to use it yet.someday i hope i have written a lot of stuff in it but now it seems like water under the bridge.good luck i bet it will be a great experiance

[WePow]

We do that at times. It is good because it allows you to be honest when not in session. And then you can share what you want T to know.

[Indie'sOK]

Hah...come to think of it, I *had* a regular journal, but over time it evolved completely into a therapy journal

[skysblue]

I read something every session - either from my current journal, a previous journal that holds some traumatic memories or independent writings where I explore certain themes such as "The Abyss", etc.

I would never want my T to do the reading because I will interject current thoughts or ideas while reading. And my emotions will come forth when I do my own reading.

The readings only take up a portion of the session. I make a list of what I'd like to talk about and even though I may have the journal on the list, I may not even get to it.

The journal contains important thoughts or feelings that have transpired during the week and if I didn't have my journal I might forget the intensity or the seriousness of them while I was experiencing them. I would feel lost going into session without it.

[Hope-Full]

My T said that in the past, she has had clients that use a journal for communication for an entire year before they are comfortable enough to actually bring things up verbally. That made me feel a heck of a lot better!

I know for me, I do journal, quite a bit, actually. When something strikes me, I will finish that entry, and then edit it so it becomes an entry specifically for my T to read. I find that it helps me cut through the nervous banter and get straight to what I want to bring up. Oftentimes I give it to my T to read, though she prefers me reading it aloud to her. Sometimes, though, that just isn't possible, so she'll read it to herself. Then we talk about it.

I find the journal VERY helpful in bringing up topics I am really afraid of, or ashamed of, because once T reads the words, she somehow knows how to speak to me in a way that I'll be able to reply and continue the conversation. If she had to sit around and wait for me to bring topics up, we'd be sitting there saying nothing for a long time!

When he and I went through it he wrote a little in it too

that sounds so cool. don't know if that will happen. was a blubbering mess last night just thinking about today!

I wanted her to read it herself but she made me read it out loud to her. I wasn't a huge fan of that at first...

i know i won't be able to read it myself, i never wear my glasses in t and i am blind as a bat without them. glad it worked out for you

i am sorry i am not able to respond to each of you individually. this just really has me turned into a basket case. my 23 year old son came over last night unexpectatly and found me a blubbering mess.

it just seems like lately t has been wanting to "be closer" and that is scary to me. i have been seeing for so long but always keep him at arm's length, never sit close, never look. and now i am suppose to share. in my journal i write the most crazy insane things. just trying to get them out of my head. t has told me in the last month that he doesn't hate me, i thought for a very long time he did and my fear is after seeing what i wrote, he will hate me all over again. it is soooo making me not wanting to breathe. scared petrified, terrified, etc. i am not sui. just soooo scared. so wanting to hide. so wanting to disappear. ... sorry so bad, sorry so long

[jazzy123456]

breathe... in and out.... I'm the type of person who has to tell myself sometimes that .. "nothing is as bad as it feels.." Yes, this is difficult for you but, maybe you have to tell yourself that too... if you can't get yourself to stop belieiving that your T will react in a way you won't like, at least you can try to guide yourself into a more realistic approach, because the only thing fear does is set us off into this place where we think of the absolute worst scenarios like, "oh my gosh, T will hate me" .. Now think, real quick,... "" T said he didn't hate me.. so Yes, maybe this will be uncomfortable but, he probably won't hate me." you just have to get yourself to realize that even if this does, indeed, feel terrifying... "its not as bad as you feel it will be" Think of all the other times you we're worried before session,? did things really turn out as terrible as you thought they would? Maybe sessions were'nt how you wanted them to be but, did it end up turning out as terrible as you felt that it would? I hope not, cus, yes, some of those moments we're tough for me but, they weren't as tough as I thought they would be. hope this makes sense, cus' I've used that to calm myself down lately.

Jazzy, thanks for the kinds words and you are right. it was not as bad as i imagined. and t didn't hate me.

in fact, t told me i should have called him and not dealt with all the anxiety by myself for ten days. and i told him "but we made an agreement" and he said my safety was more important than the agreement.

i am now calming myself down. it was wretched week, but he did let me keep the picture. and i didn't have to read from my journal and t didn't read it either. he said when i am ready...it was one of those sessions where you feel like you are only there for ten minutes and actually there the entire time. but i did spend most of it crying. that is the first time in over ten years of seeing him
LOL at least i brought in my own kleenex and yes, i did have to blow my nose!!!!!

t I've done that from time to time. It really isn't too bad. You can pick and choose what you decide to read.

for some reason, it was H#&&ish for me.... just could not do it. was a basket case. cried in t for the first time AND i was not embarrassed. just not safe for me yet!

I would feel lost going into session without it.

after last night i don't know if my journal will ever see the light of day (or night) way too triggering for me...

i am glad to hear it works for you though!

[Xeneon]

When i read my T my journal, she would nod and then ask me read to her more. Thats about it. She didn't talk about she just listened.

[sunrise]

Originally Posted by jbmomg

i am suppose to bring my journal to t this week and read from it.

If you are uncomfortable sharing from your journal, you don't have to jbmomg. Journals can be very private and not for T's eyes, if that is how you feel. It is OK not to share it! (I would never share mine.) Instead, you can share what you need to by talking, without having to read straight from your journal.

Originally Posted by jbmomg

i didn't know i would be sharing it.

Remember, this is your choice and not something your T decides. Your T can request that you bring it and read from it, and you can answer "OK" or "no."

I have shared a poem I wrote with him, though, and also an essay. These times went well.