I know this must sound rather silly but after 2 yrs in therapy the thought is just begining to occur to me about what am I in therapy for? I mean what are the end results I am looking for?

I say this because yesterday, arms folded I asked T if I will always feel uncomfortable sitting there in the room with her? Her reply was "we don't know"

I was taken aback. I guess I thought one day i would be this "sorted" adult person that would eventually dance into therapy and be ever so comfortable being there.

I am going to mention this to T next week.

So what are reasonable expectations for therapy? and is it still visible that I will be uncomfortable in the end?

My ins. co. required my T to give a "treatment plan" so I asked her what it was. She said things like stabilizing mood, behavior therapy to combat binge eating, rash behaviors, improving self-esteem, helping me to overcome my passivity...stuff like that.--Suzy P.S.. I have bp 1 & anxiety & ADD.

One thing I do from time to time is sit down and write out in my journal things like -

Why I need or want to be in therapy
What are my problems
and brainstorm a list of ways to solve my problems on my own and with a therapist.

This comes in handy with formulating my therapy program so that instead of sitting there in uncomfortable ness and so on my therapist and I are actually doing things together be it talking, working on one of my therapy projects, doing relaxation visualizations and so on.

Maybe it is time for you to try doing this. Since you have no idea why you need or want to be in therapy how about starting by writing down what your problems with daily living are - can you take care of yourself, do your budget plan so that your bills get paid, do you have panic attacks, nightmares, flashback, depression and so on and what are your problems associated with those things.

and then make a list of things th at you have tried on your own and a list of things you would like to try either on your own or with your therapist.

Once you have that on paper it might make it easier for you to deside what your therapy goals (what you are aiming for in therapy) are.

Hang in there.

[Perna]

Mouse, I think your T's "we don't know" just meant therapy/becoming comfortable isn't magic that happens automatically and, she can't tell the future. It's a little like if you had asked your fourth grade teacher if you were going to graduate from high school. She hopes so and things might look good (or she wouldn't be working with you), you're "intelligent" enough, etc. but who knows?

Think about what is needed to become someone who dances into therapy, being ever so comfortable being there.

Do little things while you're there. Have you rearranged the chair you sit in before session? Have you ever stood up in the middle of the session for some reason -- to get a kleenex, read the title of a book in the bookcase that has attracted you or look at a figurine/object on the desk or just to stretch? Do a few daring things like that and make the room "yours" to be in as well as your therapist's! Bring something from home that you enjoy and that makes you comfortable? I brought a afghan of my grandmother's once (blankee? :-) wore bedroom slippers to therapy a few times, especially in the winter :-) and had a tiny stuffed bear I felt part of that I gave my therapist to keep for a few weeks, a piece of me (rather than having a piece of her). You have to work from your side, it's not all going to come from what your therapist says to you.

oh Perna lol I do work....I do ask about her book titles etc...but I would never be the sort of person to bring things into the session...I think the feelings that are brought up in our safe room are enought for me too bring in...I've thought hard and long about whether I will be truely comfortable and am coming to the conclusion that I can never dismiss the damage done to me in my life and maybe "comfortable" comes in degrees and I will settle for less and be pleased I even made it to therapy...yes that will do for me...