[Gently1]

Restarting Group Therapy on Monday. Only a little nervous this time.

The last GT I did was Jun- Nov last year. I was not ready to work in an environment where it is 'assumed' I was worthy. It is hard to hide in the group setting.

After many one on one T sessions, I was able to begin accepting my value and am ready to work on myself and relationships in a group (safe) setting. Also now on 5 medications, not quite the right balance but close...

I am looking forward to 'going back to work'. The first two weeks is 3 times a week for 3.5 hours. I learned that just because something did not work the first time, it is OK to change methods and move on what 'feels' right for me.

Here is a link that I watched and listened to many times.
Someone posted @ PC that helped me get to where I am now.

Here it is again: http://www.ted.com/talks/brene_brown...erability.html

Therapy works in mysterious ways.. It is all about relationships.

[WePow]

Good work with your healing! It is not easy to do what we have to do to heal. But it can be done.

[sunrise]

Good luck on starting group therapy again. Sounds like you are ready! I am surprised your group sessions are 3.5 hours long--I hope you like those people!

Hope you will post back and let us know how it goes.

[Gently1]

Today was great, I was relieved that it was what I expected. The same excellent guidence of the leaders, the clear ground rules to make GT a safe place to be. It does feel a bit strange that as I jumping back in after some intensive personal work.

I am exhusted because my personal goal is to be visiable, this is hard work for me but to learn to be assertive means I have to see myself as having value and being able to comunicate what I think and harder for me what I feel.

These two weeks are Assertiveness 1, and we are the first group to have the extra time for self care added on. That why the longer time, there is a break and then we finish with the self care exercise.

Today was stretching; selfcare and coping strategies were the specific topic of a previous group, this is a reminder for us to keep on going with self care, mindfulness, and all the good things that help to us to cope with life.

The hospital day treatment program is evolving, and I am grateful, to be a patient.

G1

[Gently1]

Originally Posted by sunrise

Good luck on starting group therapy again. Sounds like you are ready! I am surprised your group sessions are 3.5 hours long--I hope you like those people!

Hope you will post back and let us know how it goes.

Sunrise- we are a small group with two leaders, they know each other from being together from the beginning programs, and even though I was new, I was very comfortable.

I did catch the humor in --I hope you like those people! I did LOL.

thanks

[Gently1]

First week of GT was very good. Lot's of wisdom in the group and as the focus of these two weeks is assertiveness, the leaders are very careful to point out when we have been brave or assertive, and focus on the positive.

As well as being made aware of -in my case an example of sarcasm that I used. This is agressive even if comes off as humourous.

Anger will always find a way out. Again very gently approached and supportive. As I have been working on recognising sarcasm it was not new to me. Anger is not something I recognise easily, so it is good to have it brought to my attention.

The best part is the last hour of self care, stretching, relaxation on mats, and body awareness on mats. With the reminder of continued self care.
And to do what we can without judgment. Mindfullness. Not so difficult to say but to practice....