Any "get out of the box" ideas to bring in 3rd year with my therapist? Something new?

Last week (March 8th) marked my two year anniversary with my therapist. I have been thinking back over the past two years at all the ups and downs we have had. Pondering my progress. Thinking about my goals for this year.

Since this week will be the first session into my third year, I thought about doing something different. I have no idea what that would be. Have any of you done something different from the normal routine? Something that helped you? Something that brought you closer to your therapist? Something that helped you see a side of yourself or your therapist that you didn't know was there?

I spent some time looking at the little things that bothered me that I just "accepted" or let stay beneath my radar because I thought they were too "stupid" or hard to bring up? For example, I wore my bedroom slippers to therapy a couple times :-) We have so many social taboos and taking a harmless one of them and using it, highlighted some of my automatic thinking for me and how much I based what I think, say, and do on unexamined "rules" I was taught growing up.

Who says you can't wear bedroom slippers outside? Well, my stepmother is still probably turning over in her grave with that one Just do some tiny things you resist doing because they make you anxious and see what they bring up? I believe everything is connected to everything else and the smaller things will help bring up and allow discussion of the larger, more "important" issues.

Have you done any art or play therapy with this therapist yet?

It's interesting the things that come up for discussion when involved in art and/or play therapy ...

It's like we get distracted by the activity we're involved in then before you know it you're talking about things that you'd have never brought up but that need to be addressed / discussed the most ...

Always amazed at how insightful and amazing this proves to be for me ...

Sincerely,
BrokenCloud

Perna has a good idea. What about changing the way you dress, just as an experiment? Try dressing aggressively or submissively or provocatively and see what happens.

Take a different cuddly toy, a different blanket, switch your appointment to a different time of day, go by a different route or a different form of transport.

Wear a blindfold during the session. Go without any make-up or jewellery. Sit on the floor.

My T and I had a birthday party once. It was fun.

I made a resolution to try giving T the benefit of the doubt, I really want to work on trust
and to try to look into her eyes more (that means, a lot more)
and to try to not hide
um... and to ask if I think something might work (like lower lights)

and to push myself sometimes.

I second the idea of some kind of art therapy. It doesn't even need to be labeled as "therapy". I loved fingerpainting, especially! My T and I both sat on the floor and it was fun and therapeutic at the same time.

I sang my favorite songs to her; that was really different and made me feel closer to her!

We took a couple of walks. That was different.

Last year on my birthday we made a card together. Maybe you can make something with your T. All we needed was paper and markers.

I asked my T questions on our 2 year anniversary, like what's her favorite movies, songs, colors.

Just some ideas. Some Ts would do these things, some wouldn't, of course.

Believe it or not, I have NEVER touched her. I wonder what that would feel like? Just to reach out and hold her hand? Just for a minute. It scares me to death for some reason. Maybe because it seems to be so taboo with some therapists. She doesn't normally touch.

Holding my T's hand was the best experience I've ever had in therapy!! Better than fingerpainting! I was very scared at first. If you want touch, you'll probably have to discuss it with your T first, though.

I don't want that all the time. But I think if I just did it once and broke that wall down, I would be able to connect more with her. Given the revelations I have confessed lately, she probably won't see that as a good idea. I, on the other hand, think it would help me to process those emotions and get past them.

I really really want to color with him. I'm not sure why, but it's been on my mind for a while. He's so traditional I doubt he'd go for it, though...

My birthday is this month, and it does fall on a Wednesday (the day we have sessions). Maybe we can do something to celebrate. I would want it to be fun, yet also to be a time to reflect on the past year of my life. I will have to think of some creative game to play or something!

What did you guys do to celebrate?

I've had two birthdays so far with T, and we don't really do anything about because for both of them I've been in a bad spot and had a lot of work to do. I really can't see my T thinking outside the box anyway.

i would bring in creyons and paper and say i would like to color.i know for me i would rather do that then talk

Does your T do sand tray? I found that it really opened me up to deep insights that weren't available using only my rational brain. Kinda magical...

My T use to go away each year, out of the country, for like 6-8 weeks and I did various journal sorts of activities each time.

Once I made a paper with each day/date she'd be away listed down it and each day I made myself think of the ONE good thing I had learned that day or the one insight I'd had (all by myself, no therapist there :-)

My favorite though (while she was away) was buying those college blue book test booklets that are about 8 pages of paper and filling out one of those a week and mailing it the week I was finished, to her office. http://www.shoplet.com/Roaring-Sprin.../ROA77512/spdv

But you could adapt it to therapy sessions; do the summary of the session in one sentence? Think of one question or comment you wish you had asked or made? Think of a question, comment, or topic you want to make/discuss before the session and then describe how it went afterwards.

My T was once away for 3 months (the year we were terminating; I knew about it 6+ months in advance) and I decided to write a "book" for her while she was away; a novel about my experience in therapy (I'd seen her for 18 years by then with 9 other in-between so known her nearly 30 years) and I didn't do it then but finally did just a couple years ago: http://mysharingspaceonline.com/story.pdf I have a few ideas in there too you might enjoy?

No, she doesn't that I know of. I have mentioned it before when you said you have done it.