Hi there. I am new here as of today. This looks like a wonderful community and I'm glad I found it.

Beginning with a new therapist is like beginning a new job in that the initial period can be so uncomfortable...

But I do really like her. I searched hard for what I want: a psychologist who does psychodynamic therapy. I have been in therapy/counseling for many years off and on. I feel that I have not only not had the type of therapy I need but also I have not talked about some important things and I am committed this time to the process. The first session was good and I unexpectedly felt I would be able to work with her and feel comfortable/safe with her. She is gentle, kind, direct, encouraging.

While I still feel that way, I find myself avoiding the issue(s) that I am there for. Have only had 3 visits and one was one I requested after a difficult few days. I don't want to avoid the issues but I am worried about my ability to talk about them. It is hard for me to talk much period, but even harder to talk about the truly important things.

I also am worried about becoming too attached to her.

So.. looking for support and suggestions, friends.

Welcome to PC. I recently had a bad relapse & I didn't want to tell my meds provider about it cuz I felt so ashamed. I had been doing well for a long time so instead of "telling" her, I wrote her a letter & told her in detail what happened so she would know by my next appt. It was so much easier to talk about a difficut subject when she already knew. I didn't have to go explain it again. You might feel more comfortable doing that.--Suzy

Thank you, Suzy. I appreciate your reply!

I was lucky in that I had a long correspondence with a person on another board who is educated as a therapist (doctorate of psychology) but does not practice. She agreed to talk to my new therapist and they did speak so it saved me a lot of talking, opening up there. And I had kept all of my correspondence with that person and copied it to a CD and she will review it. So, it is like writing something down to take in and I may do that from time to time.

Often, when I can't identify what's going on in my mind, I will write... it helps me to see what's going on. I don't know if that makes sense to you or not. It is how I realized last week that I was concerned that the therapist would leave me abruptly and that she wouldn't believe me. If I hadn't done some writing, I might not have realized that.

Thanks for your welcoming support!