[learning1]

I'm curious whether people have a lot of thoughts about therapy that they never share with their therapist? Because there are too many to share? Or because they're difficult things to share? Or another reason? And does your therapist more or less have an idea about how you're doing from session to session?

Or do you talk with your t more than you think about your issues outside of therapy?

[Wren_]

I seem to think about therapy a lot, read different books or articles online about it, talk about it here etc. There's no way I can fit all of what I think about it into the therapy session and mostly they never get discussed which is a shame in a lot of ways because it would probably help a lot if they did ... it would help T and it would help me ... just, not possible

how about your experience learning?

[learning1]

I'm about the same as you TG. I'm sorry you don't get to tell your t things you think would help you both .

That's partly what I was bi*chy w t about-- I think he dominates the conversation too much-- mainly 'cuz he scares me and I don't say anything and he keeps blathering away without noticing. It felt good to tell him I wish he'd talk less even though I had to be bi*chy to get his attention and he didn't act like he understood.

While I do come here on PC because it has become an addictive habit, I don't start threads often. I don't really spend much time thinking about my own therapy really. I don't read books about therapy; never have. I think you can get bogged down in that. When I first received my bipolar diagnosis I did do a great deal of reading about that, but I haven't done that in a few years now.

I talk to my T about my real life and talk to him about a great deal more than I discuss here on PC. We spend little to no time discussing therapy during therapy. That would actually feel off-topic to me somehow. My T is very attuned to how I am doing from session to session and we work on real-time issues most of the time.

[mommyof2girls]

I talk more in therapy then here on PC....

[trdleblue]

Originally Posted by learning1

I'm curious whether people have a lot of thoughts about therapy that they never share with their therapist? Because there are too many to share? Or because they're difficult things to share? Or another reason? And does your therapist more or less have an idea about how you're doing from session to session?

Or do you talk with your t more than you think about your issues outside of therapy?

I have a lot of thought about therapy that I don't know how to bring up to my T. I guess it's because when I'm actually in the room the thoughts and feelings are different then they were during the week. The conversations about therapy are the hardest for me to bring up. I'm still trying to figure out the whys and hows.

I think my T can somewhat tell how I've been doing from session to session, but I still don't know how to take my mask off, and I keep my emotions hidden well.

[learning1]

Originally Posted by trdleblue

I have a lot of thought about therapy that I don't know how to bring up to my T. I guess it's because when I'm actually in the room the thoughts and feelings are different then they were during the week. The conversations about therapy are the hardest for me to bring up. I'm still trying to figure out the whys and hows.

I think my T can somewhat tell how I've been doing from session to session, but I still don't know how to take my mask off, and I keep my emotions hidden well.

Yeah, I think the part I bolded there is a good point you made. I mean, me too.

I talk to T about more than I post here. We meet twice / week and I also email her processing emails after our sessions (and sometimes emails between these times). I'm very open and honest with her about my concerns, fears, feelings, etc. Sometimes I won't share something here that is consequential to our relationship unless I've first shared it with her--it just feels funny to me to do so since it's about us and we're very open about our relationship.

[scorpiosis37]

I talk more during my sessions with my T. She's the one I tell about the intimate details of my life and, when it comes up, I talk to her quite candidly my relationship with her. I go on PC is because I'm interested in the therapeutic process in general and I find it incredibly interesting to learn about others' experiences with therapy, to "compare notes" so to speak, and to offer support when I can. In replying to others' posts, I often relate details about my own experience in order to say "I've been there, too" or "I went through that, and this is what helped me." When I've started my own posts, it's been because I had a question I wanted answered, I was between sessions and needed support before I'd see T again, or I wanted to discuss something with T and needed some feedback about how to approach it. I consider PC a therapy "accessory" that I can use if I want to-- and I consider it something "fun" to do when I need a "break" from whatever I'm doing in RL.

I've also chosen not to talk to my T about PC because I feel like it's unnecessary. If I bring things on PC about my RL or my T relationship that I feel are relevant to my therapy, then I tell her about them. Otherwise, the things I discuss on here don't make the "list." After all, the list is too long anyway! So, even if T doesn't know everything I've talked about on PC, there isn't anything I wouldn't want her to know or anything I'm hiding from her. If she doesn't know it, it's simply because I've prioritized the bigger topics. I think I also feel somewhat protective of my PC space; I feel as though it's "my" space where I can talk about things, learn about things, and process things before or after I see my T. I like having the opportunity to hear others' perspectives on things, so that my T relationship isn't the only model I have to go by. (Although I do think it's the best! And yes, my T knows I feel that way!)

I talk to t about more than I post here. I do some processing of what we talk about here. I read other people's posts to help me process and to get fresh perspectives and because the community feels so welcoming knowing we're all kind of in this together. Same as eastcoaster I'm very open and honest with my t about everything except the one thing that still plagues me, I still haven't been able to ask her for a hug! Yesterday she talked a bit more than usual and asked me a couple of questions that I surprised myself by not being too embarrassed to answer. So I am like geez if I can honestly answer x, why can't I say something so simple as I want a hug? maybe someday.

I wish I could speak with my T 6 days a week. Unfortunately, i have a 50 minute hour. I write a lot during the week and give that to my T...I have worksheets, as well. Also I have assigned reading.

The time goes quickly too in session that I feel I have only made a small dent. I try really hard though to stay on point / topic and to not stray. So at least one thing gets discussed.

Today, on my way home from the office I actually thought to myself, "None of it matters anymore" hum...not in a bad way like I dont matter anymore but all the pain from the past...it just doesnt matter.

I dont know why i thought that or what it means...

I have T2 / Session III coming up so maybe we will talk about that.

a few months ago i would have said "post more to pc" and now with going weekly, i am finding i am not so afraid of t and feeling more safe so i am talking more in t now and sharing less on pc.

interesting question!!!

[Rose76]

I went to therapy for years and then got completely sick of it and don't ever want to go again. I much rather post on PC. I think, for me, peer support is far more valuable than support from a therapist. Also, I learn more about myself from peers. I wish there was a good group program that I could go to - peer directed.

[Wren_]

I wish I could give what I wrote to T like Rose mentioned, that would help

That's partly what I was bi*chy w t about-- I think he dominates the conversation too much-- mainly 'cuz he scares me and I don't say anything and he keeps blathering away without noticing. It felt good to tell him I wish he'd talk less even though I had to be bi*chy to get his attention and he didn't act like he understood.

Did he comment at all when you told him that part about wishing he'd talk less?

What I say in T is not indexed by Google. What I write here is, and I try not to lose sight of that fact. Anything shared in PC is public.

I tend to process my thoughts on my therapy here. But my therapy session is where the action is.

[WikidPissah]

I have a fairly bad stutter, and I have anxiety that keeps me from speaking. So the content of what I actually say during session isn't much. I do email him important stuff though. He definitely knows way more about me then pc does. I do however talk a lot about my relationship with T here on pc, much more than I do with T himself.

We talk like crazy to our t. Hours and hours a week. Dont say much here.

[SoupDragon]

For me writing puts my issues out there, so they are not part of me - actually on here they are all SoupDragons issues and nothing to do with me

I am not good at talking to T, maybe I should wear a dragon costume to my next appointment.

[fibereagle]

Originally Posted by tigergirl

I seem to think about therapy a lot, read different books or articles online about it, talk about it here etc. There's no way I can fit all of what I think about it into the therapy session and mostly they never get discussed which is a shame in a lot of ways because it would probably help a lot if they did ... it would help T and it would help me ... just, not possible

how about your experience learning?

Love your tiger:-)

[Perna]

Originally Posted by Apteryx

What I say in T is not indexed by Google. What I write here is, and I try not to lose sight of that fact. Anything shared in PC is public.

It's not quite that bad, thank goodness, people have to know to look for "Apteryx" not exactly a nick that trips off the tongue and lends itself to figuring out, "Oh, it's her!" :-)

[fibereagle]

I talk more in therapy. PCslows me down.

[geez]

I have a tendency to just let it all hang out. It helps me to process things ahead of time before seeing T. Otherwise I'm a deer in the headlights sometimes in therapy. There is too much work that needs to be done for me to just save it for T.

Originally Posted by Perna

It's not quite that bad, thank goodness, people have to know to look for "Apteryx" not exactly a nick that trips off the tongue and lends itself to figuring out, "Oh, it's her!" :-)

Sure, as long as one is sensible enough to avoid posting names or other things that might be identifiable.

All the same, this is a public place, and for me personally that means I think very carefully about what I share.

[learning1]

Originally Posted by tigergirl

I wish I could give what I wrote to T like Rose mentioned, that would help

Did he comment at all when you told him that part about wishing he'd talk less?

Why don't you give what your write to your t Tigergirl?

He asked if I want him to not talk at all. I said no. Then he started explaining why he was talking, which completely missed the point of why he needs to let me talk more. It seemed like he didn't get it.

Originally Posted by SoupDragon

For me writing puts my issues out there, so they are not part of me - actually on here they are all SoupDragons issues and nothing to do with me

I am not good at talking to T, maybe I should wear a dragon costume to my next appointment.

lol