what makes a session good for you?

my t asked me (seemingly out of nowhere) what makes a session a good one for me...

so I turn it over to all of you, what defines a good session?

A session in which I feel heard and I learn something about myself.

Really interesting question, thanks for posting. I'm still in the early days of building up an alliance as I have major trust issues and am not ready to start full-on processing yet. At the moment it's more about getting to trust my T, little by little, and repeated ruptures and trust repair.

For me, a good session is one in which I feel I've been heard and understood, and one with at least one thing I can replay in my head later, whether that's something my T has said, or something he's done.

The session is good if there's a strong connection. It's kind of like the concept of "flow". If there is good "flow" between my T and me, the session is good. It's kind of like we're "in the zone" and progress seems fast at those times. I also consider it good if we go deep and there is emotional content. If it is all superficial and cerebral, it really doesn't help me that much, although it can be very interesting. I tend to be very rational and cerebral in real life, so more of that in therapy is just me with my defenses and standard way of being. I also like if there is give and take, some reciprocity. And of course, if I come with a specific problem and I leave with a specific solution or direction, then that is great too (but I often don't come with a specific problem). I also like when therapy is surprising--when what we ended up working on was not something I would have predicted before showing up that day.

Good question.

For me, when i'm able to feel a connection to my therapist. When i feel " held" in the therapeutic space and when i'm really heard and allowed to just be in the moment.

Seconded.

A GOOD SESSION is 8 pints of Stella Larger 5.2%

When I feel better when I walk out than when I walked in.

When my T listens empathically and genuinely.

When something different happens or comes into my brain or out of my mouth.

A good session for me is feeling better than when I went in to session. It doesn't matter if it was productive... whatever my needs are that day, i want those to be met. eg: if i need closure, getting that closure. if i need to just vent, being able to do that. etc

I think the feeling better when you come out thing is interesting. Some of the most productive sessions I've had, I walked out shaking and shivering and feeling like I needed to vomit. But I guess those were "productive" then, and not "good"?

I have had two appointments which I considered to be not bad in that I left not feeling worse than when I went in.
Both were where the therapist just basically sat and listened but appeared to understand what I was talking about. She did not talk much at either one.

Funny - my T asked me this too, recently. I said a session is good if I can actually get my words out and it feels productive. But maybe it's been too productive at times because when I go back, I'm all resistant again and shut down....Idk. i might need to slow it down a little.

I would add a good session is one in which I feel a connection with my T - and then he usually feels more connected with me too.

Oh right... well... I guess that can be "good" too. I hadn't thought of that.

When I can get in touch with my emotions, express them, and have them understood and accepted.