I'm sure the following situation is one that many of you have been in, and am interested to hear what you did (or what you think you would do). On Tuesday, I'm going to go in to T with four fairly distinct topics I fairly urgently want to discuss. It's not really important what they are; A is a self-esteem related issue which came up just before my time was up last week, B is a memory/realisation I had shortly after last week's session which is tangentially related to A; C is a marital issue, also kind of related to A but not to B, and D is the fact that I think about dying a lot, and it worries me a little.

What I plan to do is start the session by saying "hey T, I need to tell you about A, B, C and D, but I know there won't be time to discuss them all." And then see where that leads. At least all the subjects will be "on the table"; I think I know T well enough to know he won't prioritise for me, though he might want to make sure I'm not suicidal (I'm not.) But then again, maybe he will pick one of the topics, I don't actually know. Does it make sense to go in and say that, though?

[scorpiosis37]

Yes, I think it's good to get them all out on the table at the very beginning. That way, you'll have them off your chest-- you'll know that T is aware of them and, even if you don't get to all of them in that session, T can be responsible for bringing them back up next time. I find it helpful to at least tell T all of the things I want to talk about because just having them "out there" gives me a sense of relief, as opposed to holding them in, waiting and waiting for the time when we finally have time for each of them. After all, by the time we actually get to D-- three weeks later-- there has been an E, F, and G, that are then waiting to be discussed.

[unaluna]

plus t's have this amazing ability to see how these things are linked.

i think that isan excellent idea, make sure to emphasize you are not suicidal. I am very proud of you for being so brave.

[~EnlightenMe~]

It sounds like you are using your T wisely I like your plan!

[sunrise]

I think your plan makes good sense. Hope your session goes well.

[sconnie892]

That sounds like a great plan. I may use something similar for my next visit with t.

[murray]

I think it sounds wise to lay out all the issues as well at the beginning. As hankster mentioned, T's will often find links and connections which might help a lot.
Good luck in your session.

[granite1]

i think it is a great plan. i have never done this and have no idea what my T would do but do you think maybe you could prioritize them before you go on that day as to what one may be most important for that day and then leave the list with T bring out next session to refer to and talk about what wasn't talked about

[alone in the world]

Thanks for the suggestion of how to bring more than one thing into a session. will have to try that this week.

[rainbow_rose]

I did something like this. I made an outline of things I wish we had time to talk about ... i put the most important at the top and and listed other things so she knew what was in my head, even if we couldn't talk about it all. She commented on a few, which was nice.

[stopdog]

It sounds like a good idea to me. Good luck.

[KazzaX]

I find that if you blurt it all out at the start, then you cannot take it back and its OUT THERE. Then the T does with it what he/she sees fit.

I'm really grateful for everybody's input. It's definitely true that blurting things at the start of the session is a good way (sometimes the only way) to actually give the T the information. It was also very useful to get the generally positive feedback, so I know this sounds like a workable plan. That also makes me more likely to actually do it (because right now, 22 hours before my appointment, I fear I'll chicken out).

And now there's also E, which I should also include in the list. Oh dear. I'll let you know how it goes, if I may.

[murray]

I hope it goes well and yes, please let us know how it goes.

[skysblue]

I've gone as far as given my T a printed outline of my list of topics and subtopics in order of possible priority. She's gently amused at my sometimes need of organization and clarity. I think it can be very useful that our T's know what's on our minds and listing topics at the get-go can be helpful.

[learning1]

I think it's a good idea and I'd be careful to say that you have 5 things to talk about first. A lot of the time if I start trying to give a list, the t will go off on the first or second topic I mention and I never get to give the list.

I just got back from my session. As always, the words got stuck in my throat but I managed to get them out eventually. I sensed that it was the right thing to do, to just present the issues really briefly to get them out there. T commented that all five subjects were important, and then he actually picked one - C - while promising that we'd get back to the others. As I guessed, we did not get anywhere near halfway through C (though also touched on D). It was a productive session I think but I feel a bit numb and overwhelmed now.

Many thanks for your support.

[WikidPissah]

Once I gave exT a drawing of a 1950's file cabinet, and all the drawers were clearly labeled with topics. He laughed at my lack of skills, then stuck it in my file and never pulled it out again. For reals.

I am glad your t heard your topics, and is opting to address them. It is good to be heard. Good job Apt.

[Bill3]

I'm very glad for this productive session. Thanks for letting us know.