silly Q about stuffies

in our safe room at our counselors office that we go to everyday we currently have 4 teddy bears-well 3 bears and a lamb-that different parts of us hug when we need to. they each have their names on them so theres no confusion and she gives anyone inside who asks one but the fact that they come from her makes it more special for us

((((((((Granite)))))))) I totally understand where you're coming from. I don't have one stuffed animal...I have several. I think I must have at least 20. The most special one, a bear named Buster my dad got for me when I was born, I lost somewhere in the process of moving to a new house some years ago. Now I have two pillow pets, a big black bear, a Snoopy, a Build-a-Bear from my 16th birthday, and others as well.

My T doesn't have any stuffed animals, just pillows. I don't hold on to them because I'm very uncomfortable touching T's stuff....I tend to sit on the couch with my arms tight to my sides in a self-conscious sort of way. I'm very excited for winter to come, because I have many, many hoodies and sweatshirts that I can wrap myself up in. Baggy clothes make me feel comfortable, much as a stuffie would.

Someone mentioned the smell of T's office......this is a major comfort factor for me. I'll walk in the entryway of the office before climbing the stairs up to the waiting room, and instantly am hit with the smell of lemon Pledge. It makes me feel at home, comfortable and at ease. I've considered buying some for my room

First of all I love the word stuffie-I have never used it that way and it's super cute!! I would love to take in one to a session-for when I get nervous or upset (or the times I feel like my 10 year old that needs healing...last session I was twirling a string on my jacket and he said something about the jacket unraveling if I kept going hehe! I think I would be too embarrassed...but maybe one day-I have a pillow pet that I sleep with and I'm sure she would like to join me...so well see

I had never thought of bringing a stuffie but it seems like a great idea. I find myself hugging my notebook when things get tense and emotional. It would be nicer to have something softer but I would feel embarrassed bringing one in. Although, I may look around some stores and see if one 'speaks' to me. I mean, I did go to a toy store and get all those figurines in order to work on those parts of myself, so why can't I have a stuffie too?

Try the Build a Bear workshop. You can make your own outfits I got a little pair of Converse high tops for mine, since I love those shoes. So cute.

My T doesn't have stuffies and he has the World's Biggest Throw Pillows on his couch. I always put a throw pillow on my lap and I am sure he can only see my nose and eyes. It's like half as big as me.

I have a bear I bought for myself about a year into T. I didn't have a teddy bear when I was little and I REALLY wanted one. I sleep with it every night and it feels safe and reminds me of T...I guess because my little parts loved T WAY before *I* did and it's really for them. Anyhow, I really love my bear.

I have lots of things from T's office, but no stuffies. Although I promise you, if he had one, I would so try to take it home! lol

my T doesn't have any stuffies in her office and I knew she wouldnt be into the whole transitional object type thing - which was confirmed when I asked her one day. she would see giving me something that smelt like her as too personal and leading to dependancy.

So I got myself a stuffie ages ago and I take it to T with me. It was hard at the start and i felt a bit embarrassed but I went through with it and I take my stuffie with me now.

I would love it if T gave me a gift, as some other people have said but i know she never would.

I think that is a great idea Granite. My T gave me one of her cushions to keep and a super soft blanket to sleep with. I do have a stuffed dog named Sam. I don't take it to T though because it is about 3 feet long...Lol.

I don't have a stuffed animal, but I did take a blanket and pillow for awhile. Not sure I would like to use something that was 'shared' by all the clients. I am somewhat of a germaphobic kind of person. I wouldn't want something that other people cried on and probably got (snot) on!

At my request, she finally bought pillows for her couch. I do hold one of those. Her new office did not have pillows on the couch. It bothered me so much that I ended up holding my purse in my lap!! She said that she would bring one next time, but I always have mine in my car. So if she forgets, I will still have one.

In response to those who are surprised that my T doesn't have stuffies. None of my Ts have had stuffies. I've seen six of them. Two have had pillows in their office. Of my five Pdocs, maybe two have had pillows. I kept telling one of my Pdocs that he needed pillows in his office. I even looked for ones for him before I moved, but couldn't find any that would match his chairs. But then most of my Ts have had very formal offices. None of the ones I brought my stuffed animal to had any problem with it.

My Pdoc doesn't have stuffies but she kinda makes a good stuffie... very soft and hugable as much hugs as I need.
Massage T has a green blankie I love.

Up until this very thread, I'd never even heard the term stuffies. I have never had a t with this either, which is just as well because it just seems a bit odd and creepie to me. To each his own I guess.

yeah i've never heard a stuffed animal called stuffie until a thread some time back!

Oh yes, sure. I have a giant bee. The main reason why I don't take it with me to T is because it's really HUGE, and by huge I mean about a 1m long and 60cm wide My T has no stuffies in her office, but even if she had any I don't think I would like them, because when I want a stuffy, I want my bee, and nothing else has ever worked. T has told me more than once that maybe it would be a good idea for me to bring the bee to therapy, but idk, I guess I don't really want to.

the stuffed animal that my T gives me really helps to ground me a lot .it being soft and huggable comforts me also.i really need that when i am so paniced that i cant move.it kind of breaks the spell for a bit.allows me to feal something other than fear ,anger etc..i dont feel that is creepy at all.

I've brought breathing "stuffies" in too.

Itty (a cat) used to come with me before she passed
Grace (dog) has come with me
And DC came once but he kept trying to pee behind T's couch so he hasn't been back (I had brought a travel litter box but he was having a 'guy' moment). Most embarrassing session EVER!
Omi used to come to old T but she seems to be under a lot of stress so I don't make her do the service cat thing any more.

I would definitely bring Jazzy (my pony) to session every week if I could! there is a nice small grassy spot out back... Jazzy has big shoulders to cry on and T is a horse person!
But as funny as it was to think of a car driving down the road to T with a giant bee in it I don't think mine would even fit. 1,200lb of legless draft horse in an old cavalier! I do think she would like to stick her head out the window like a dog though and pretend she was running really fast

I had a tiny, jointed bear, a couple inches high and I gave it to T to "hold" for me and carry with her (she put it in the change, zipper portion of her purse :-) until I asked for it back. However, it got uncomfortable for me because it felt like the bear was being held "hostage" I felt like if I did anything wrong or something happened, that the bear would have to "pay" for it somehow. It was weird but very interesting to think about/discuss with T. It was like the bear was part of me.

i would love to bring my cats to T but i think they would freak out .they tend to be house cats that have never been outside.

In my first round of therapy in my late 20's, when I had a somewhat high-powered job, I would arrive at therapy in my business suit and fancy briefcase. I will never forget the first time I popped open my briefcase and out popped my bright orange stuffed orangutan, "Oliver." He came flying out of there like one of those trick potato chip canisters with a fake snake inside.

My T at the time, an unflappable psychodynamic-oriented gentle man, practically fell on the floor laughing. I failed to get anywhere near such a reaction from him in the 2 years that followed.

My current T has some pillows in his office that can be lovely to squeeze.

Anne

Mine are house cats but OK with a little adventure. Only problem is that my T gets more excited about seeing my cats than she does me!
And you have to be careful. If you get anxious and squeeze them like real stuffies they squeak.

I brought 2 "guys" from Where the wild things are, Max and Uncle Moishe, and I have a duplicate set at home. They live in T's big toy box, and he says the other kids in his practice recognize them and like them and use them. That makes me happy, makes me feel like a regular kid. During our sessions, he holds Max (who I thought was a girl when I bought him), and Moishe lies on my lap and usually helps with the goodbye hug! So basically we "play dolls" every session, because he is sitting there holding a babydoll in a onesie, like he's a little girl. Or a mom?

I wish I had the courage to bring my old teddy. He is in a cedar chest. He was very dear to me as a child. My dogs would tear the place apart and little therapy would get done as I would be trying to control the "puppies". LOL- I got the most wonderful mental pictures of the pony with his head out the window of the car on the freeway! The traffic would slow down and people would enjoy seeing the pony!