Second session.

I had my second session of therapy today, and it went much better than last time. I just feel that an hour isn't enough!!!!

We talked a lot about relationships and stuff, nothing about the abuse which I'm thankful for. He said I had a lot of trust issues I had to work through, so we will do that in the next session which isn't for 10 days!!! I hate this waiting...

But all in all it went well and I think I'm going to stick with him, at least for now.

((((Tanya)))) I can relate. I only get 50 minutes for £30 a session here in the UK - I am going to make a point of asking him why this is next time!. Ten days is way too long to wait, is it not weekly?

Its all about telling your life story too I guess so its going to take a while for us both, I have just had my third session. We are working on enmeshment issues with my mother (although I want to keep as far away from her as possible at the moment).

take care

I used to hate waiting between sessions too until I realized I was the only one making me wait. there was no reason I HAD to wait to do therapy work. Just because there are so many days between seeing my therapist doesn't mean I can't work on things on my own and by working on things on my own I actually moved forwards faster. See I was seeing my therapist for one hour and in between were 168 hours between my sessions. which was a weekly schedule. yea that was 168 hours I had to wait but finding the positive side in it that was 168 hours that I could do some work on my own to take in to my next session. So I thought about a question that my therapist asked me that question was - "What is La La Land like?" and then I wrote a poem about it, and took some construction paper, a box, glue and scissors and made a diarama (3D version of it in a box). When I was done I only had one day left before I saw my therapist.

So then I started doing projects every week between my sessions and man did I move forwards fast. My therapist would ask questions and I would comeup with creative projects around that question and so on and one day after we had to choose a new therapist my new therapist LL said that I was about 10 years ahead of any of her other clients with DID that had been actively working for the past three years. Some how SKR and I had crammed 10 years of therapy work into three years.

Right now I see LL every two weeks but sometimes as many as five weeks go by between our sessions and what keeps me together dduring that time frame is thinking about one of her questions and challenging myself to do more work on it on my own by writing about it or doing an art project around that question. partly because it makes the time beween sessions go faster and it also helps me to understand what is going on with me better and partly because I know therapy isn't just walking in a therapy room and blabbing for one hour and then drop everything that I learned in that room that hour for the rest of the week and try and pick it back up after I walk back into the therapy room 7-14 days later. Therapy is walking into therapy blabbing and learning about myself for an hour and then taking that with me out the door and applying it to my life outside or the therapy room so that I do have a better life outside the therapy room. Only I can change my life outside the therapy room and how to do that if I really want to is to apply what I learn in therapy to my life outside of therapy. So instead of dropping things as I walk out the door I bring the therapy home with me and continue to work on it and apply it at home.

Maybe you can do this too. think about what you are working on in the last session and journal or using other types of art therapy such as diarama's, clay, painting, drawing, collage, and so on to create a version of that issue you are working on in the therapy room.

hang in there.

im so glad that you like it. maybe you can journal your thoughts until the next session. keep up the good work.

Good for you! , I know I dislike the waiting part but when it gets there you are like, "Hey it was not that long!" Best of luck!

Tanya, the ten day wait is good and will help you rethink about the previous session, and help you develop that trust that you will need in the T. I know it's tough. You're doing a good thing for yourself.

im happy for you tanya. im proud that you are taking the necessary steps and that you are doing it so well.

take care and continue the hard work.

simon

Thank you all for your responses. I'm glad I'm not alone on the whole waiting thing!

Baps, he is very busy and doesn't really book in advance, when I'm there we decide when I should come again and he is booked two weeks in advance...

Myself, thank you for the advice!!! Is it normal to think about the session over and over again? I do write a lot, but I like your ideas!

that answers your question too ev, I do journal my thoughts in the form of poetry, but lately I'm struggling to express what I'm feeling, it's like I feel too empty to write... but I'll keep at it.

You are right Sarah, when the time is up it does seem shorter from that end of the wait!

Sky, I know my brain has a lot of processing to do while I wait, even if I don't notice it. It still doesn't make the wait pleasant though!

Thank you for your faith in me Simon, I'm secretly happy we are separated by the equator because I am so afraid I will dissappoint you if you ever saw me!

you're welcome

and yea its normal. see you think about your problems all the time so when in therapy for those problems you can't help but think about the therapy time focused on those problems that you are thinking about. its kind of a circle - problem - therapy session - think about problem - think and apply therapy to the problem over and over again until the problem is solved.

Thanks Sky and myself....

Thanks Sky.
and thanks tanya. hang in there.

tanya, trust me, i will never be disappointed in you. ive seen your pictures and i know you, so why would i be disappointed? you are a wonderful person and i dont think distance will change that.

hope everything goes well.

simon

At least you believe in me when it seems that I can't!!! Thank you Simon.

((((TANYA)))) just wanted to give you a hug!

i'll always believe in you tanya. you are a great person, and you will see that one day.

take care.

simon

Thanks Liv, I appreciate the hug!

When that day comes Simon, I'll let you know!