Start of session rituals/ grounding techniques?

Just wondering if anyone has anything they do - whether alone or with T - before or at the start of their session, to better facilitate a 'therapy' state of mind? That helps them to open up or get past their defenses so they don't shut down or dissociate, so they are better able to really connect with T and be vulnerable and be in touch with their emotions?

Asking for a friend

I don't but really interested in what others say

Sometimes my T will lead a very brief meditation at the very beginning of the session, reminding me that this is a safe place, of our connection, etc., besides focusing on my breathing and feeling grounded in the physical space. I find this very helpful. Other times, starting off with a big hug can serve the same purpose.

I do a couple of things: I have a cup of tea, which I find very grounding, between the warmth I feel when I sip it and the calming sense of the ritual itself. I also turn on music that reflects or helps to evoke my emotions, often something gentle and poignant. I am fortunate to do therapy from home, so I can leave my music playing quietly during session if I wish which has helped a lot to keep me feeling more emotional and comfortable expressing my emotions. I often pre-write a little to share with my therapist, and/or take a few deep breaths and take time to be mindful of my feelings and body, and to decide what topic I'd like to cover most, if I wasn't already sure.

When I'm feeling very upset or stressed pre-session, I have also found it helpful to wear a super-soft sweater, it's comforting. Sometimes, to ease my anxiety, I'll try and straighten up or cross a couple things off my to-do list first also, because clutter and undone work make me uneasy.

My T knows how busy I am and I have PTSD, so it's a given that I'm dealing with stress usually, and she will be mindful of helping me settle in sometimes, asking if I want to get some tea and how I'm feeling to start us off, and focusing the first few moments on letting me mentally settle in. We don't start sessions w/grounding exercises per se, and she will help me with them anytime I'm feeling a lot of anxiety or dissociated, she'll happily go through some with me, which have been very helpful.

I find that if I have therapy in the morning, I spend most of my pre-therapy time simply trying to wake up and then the session is less helpful. If it's in the afternoon, I have more time to get into my what-is-important-to-talk-about mind-frame more easily and the sessions tend to be more productive. I just make a mental list of things that have come up or that have been an issue lately so I can tap into them once I get to session.

While I am still home, I read through my journal entries from the past week. This refreshes my memory if there is something that I really want to discuss with either of my Ts. While I'm in my car on the way to my personal T, I listen to music to get me in the right frame of mind. While getting a ride to my ED T, I'm 'stuck' talking to whoever is giving me a ride. While I appreciate their help, it's really not my preference as I can't process my thoughts before my session. Once I'm in the waiting room, I try to get back into my own head before she comes out to get me.

Interested in reading others rituals too. I mean my friend is.

My T and I pray at the beginning and the end of each session.

Wish We had some rituals, to ease into therapy but my T just jumps right into things.

Thanks for the hug, Nelliecat!

A brief meditation is an interesting idea... that could be good..!

I think a hug might help - we always hug at the end of session.. and we did hug at the start of session a couple weeks ago and it was a very connected session. T also held my hands that session, which I felt helped a lot... but then the session after she held my hand and it didn't seem to help, despite me thinking it would. Maybe we needed the hug first!

I'm not a tea drinker, and I see my T at her private practice (and she hardly ever offers me a drink of any kind! ) so, some of those things won't necessarily work for me...! But, what you say about having PTSD and being mindful of your feelings and body strikes a chord - as does how your T helps you 'settle in', mentally...

I think I need to discuss this with my T, that I feel I may need her help for me to 'mentally settle in' at the start of sessions, and if take a few moments to do that. What seems to happen mostly, is that I get there and she asks me how my week has been, and no matter how bad I've been feeling I think I'm so pleased to see her that I can just chat away at surface level about surface level stuff.. and it's hard for me to go 'deeper' with the conversation or get in touch with my emotions. Maybe avoidance.. I think something of an issue with being able to get my defences down (especially as we had a huge rupture a couple months ago, which consciously I want to move on from) ... but then the session is almost over and I get really upset and feel like I need a do-over. I just about get connected enough to feel upset and then go home feeling like crap!

I tend to have therapy in the early afternoon... but my sleeping pattern is messed up and typically I only give myself enough time to get ready and then start the (longish)drive over there. Maybe I should make an effort to get up earlier and think about things before I go... maybe eat some lunch...!

I think I might need to start journaling again. I used to write stuff out for T... but stopped. I think there ends up being a whole lot going on for me that I'm just not making her aware of. And... by the time session rolls around maybe I feel like I am 'over' things that might have happened earlier in the week or intense feelings that might have come up. Maybe if I journaled and then read it again before session, it would remind me of how I felt at that time, and that there might be something in it that needs addressing...?

I understand what you're saying about listening to music on the drive... I enjoy the drive and listening to the radio on the way... but what I just remembered is that what I used to do was get there early, park nearby, and listen to my iPod for a while - that used to help me calm down after the drive, which I used to find stressful. I'm a more confident driver now - on that route, anyway - so what tends to happen now is that I only leave enough time to get there... with my foot down...! Probably not the most conducive thing to arriving there in the right 'place'. Maybe I should give myself another 10 minutes like I used to.

I don't have a faith, and I don't think my T really does either, but this sounds like a lovely thing for you and your T to be able to do together. Seems like it could be really powerful.

Mine too.

I think I might need for things to be a little different, to help me really engage with the process and be able to connect with my emotions and with T...

I really appreciate the responses - so helpful, thank you

I finish work about and half an hour to an hour early and go home. Dont do much while there but I change out of work clothes to more casual ones. I feel like I fake it through my day and changing clothes is a way to shed the 'fakeness' and to shift to something else.

I don't do anything during the session, but the night before, I write down what I want to talk about. Then the morning before, I practice saying it into my laptop's webcam... embarrassing, haha. But I find it helps me say things if I've practiced.

Sometimes I make notes the night before of what I want to say to be sure to bring up.
For cbt T I am the very first apt of the day so sometimes I get there before the doors are even open.
In that case, I may sit in my car and turn on the ac, even if it is chilly out (cool air calms me, go figure) and I might read the news on my cell phone.

I spend the first few minutes of the session alone (T leaves office), and I do breathing exercises with this biofeedback/stress thing. It helps bring the anxiety down at least enough that I can get through the hour. If I don't do it before we start, I'm basically not able to talk at all.

Then T comes back in and we start normally.

My T and I used to do breathing/meditation together at the start of most sessions. Now she does something that I'm not sure I like, but she insists we do it. She wants me to close my eyes and go inside to see what seems like a good place to start today. Those are her words.

I usually already know where I want to start, way before my session, but she says that can change, and this is the way she thinks it's best to start each week. She closes her eyes too, so maybe it's for her too. It gives me a chance to relax, too.

After that, she sometimes asks me (or maybe it's before) to look around the room to get settled in, or something like that. I like to look at her, and that doesn't always settle me!

I do like the chance to collect my thoughts and feelings before we start, and it's only for a minute or two. It's a way of getting grounded.