[CantExplain]

Originally Posted by Perna

I had trouble getting started talking each session, would take me a few minutes to "warm up" and get back in the swing of things each therapy session, get the "outside" world off my back and be ready to work with my therapist.

It used to take me half an hour to warm up, but now I dive straight in. (I might not feel so hot when I have my next crisis!)

In the old days, I sometimes didn't get to room temperature for the whole session. (And I think I felt physically cold, too.) Or I was just about ready to open up when the bell went. Would longer sessions have helped, I wonder?

[critterlady]

For me, it really depends on how things are going. Sometimes I dive right in and sometimes it takes 10-15 minutes of relatively inconsequential things before the conversation veers towards the real issues. My T is actually pretty good at getting me there when he senses I'm avoiding.

[stopdog]

It takes me from 10-20 minutes to get my pulse and stuff down so I can even hear the therapist over the pounding/rush in my ears.

[BlessedRhiannon]

For me, it really depends on what's going on and what I want to talk about. Sometimes, I can dive right in, sometimes, it takes 5 or 10 minutes of light conversation first, and sometimes, it takes me a good half hour.

[granite1]

god i don't know it seems i never realywarm up at all

[healed84]

I tend to jump right in.. If there is something that I know that I need to bring up that maybe really hard to talk about, I will wait until I am feeling comfortable enough and then bring it up. However, I try not to waste my time, lol!

[ColourBars]

Depends.... really. If it's something immediate in crisis for me and I need help, around 5 - 10 minutes. If it's something that's always been bothering or hurting me "in the background", probably a lot longer like 20 minutes... that leaves 30 minutes left. XD

[Nightlight]

Usually about 50 minutes and then it's over! Sometimes I do a little better, but I'm not really sure what I need to do, to keep heading in the getting better direction! I feel quite disconnected from T after a week, and talking about myself is still so unnatural for me.

[tooski]

Usually about 10 minutes. For really difficult stuff, I'll probably talk around it, dropping hints as I go, for up to 30 minutes. My T even kids me about it (But he's OK with it because he knows that's how I am). It's on my dime, right?

T and I have long sessions, thankfully, because we usually chit chat for about 15-30 minutes about daily stuff and silly stuff and what we did that day before we get into the actual T work.

[Chopin99]

5-10 minutes of shop talk about the MH industry or other small talk...then I dive into it.

Mostly I jump right in. T and I have sort of an opening routine that works well. But if I am severally depressed, I have a terrible time accessing my thoughts; my brain really slows down. It is like trying to think through quicksand. Those are tough sessions for both of us.

[rainboots87]

I try to delay it for several minutes by chatting about stuff for a bit and because I enjoy talking to my T. There's a definite change in my demeanor though once we delve into the therapeutic stuff, usually because my T asks a tough or emotional question. She knows me too well to let ourselves chat on for too long. I trust her very much, I just would rather have a friendly conversation (although obviously that's not what I'm really going there and paying for).

It really varies for me. Sometimes I am focused and present and things flow. ..other times I'm distant and disconnected and things go so sloooooow. Sometimes it seems as if I look at the clock and it jumps from "on the hour" to fifity minutes before the hour and I know that I need to move. I readily admit that I am such a control freak that I NEVER allow my therapist the role of saying, "Well, our time is up." I end things before she has that opportunity. I'm working on being less of a control freak!

[Hearty]

I could go from zero to sixty the moment I hit the therapy stage. My song and dance entertained them; sometimes not. Sometimes we switched roles; sometimes not. Sometimes the show ran long: nearly two-hours long.

They loved me...and all at my expense.

[Dreamy01]

It varies but my session is only 50 minutes so I've had to learn to warm up as soon as possible. Sometimes I jump straight in but more often it takes me around 10-15 minutes, sometimes longer before I tell her what's REALLY been affecting me this week..

[stopdog]

Originally Posted by Jaybird57

I readily admit that I am such a control freak that I NEVER allow my therapist the role of saying, "Well, our time is up." I end things before she has that opportunity. !

I stand up and leave before the the therapist calls an end to it too.

Originally Posted by morningcalm

[SIZE=2

They loved me...and all at my expense.[/SIZE]

Was it worth it?

[sconnie892]

I've gotten much better about jumping into things because I've come to realize how quickly 50 minutes fly by. But if I am depressed or I feel like isolating that day, it takes me at least 10 minutes or more. T almost always uses the same question at the start of each session, so it puts the ball in my court as to where the session is going and how quickly we get there.