[musinglizzy]

I go once a week, my session is 50 minutes. I have not had time fly by so fast, ever! At the rate I'm going, I'm going to be in therapy the rest of my life! I know T is busy, so not sure if I can ask for extra sessions, or extended sessions, I kind of brought that up during our session yesterday, and she didn't mention those as possibilities. I had asked her if there is a certain amount of time she'll see a patient (as in long term therapy), and she basically said whatever it takes, and that when the time comes to end therapy, we would both be in agreement and comfortable with it. That's when I brought up the difficulty of a 50 minute session, and I said at the rate I'm going, this will take forever. She said she'd be there forever. Figure of speech, but I honestly can't convey my feelings and thoughts very well, so it seems as soon as I really get warmed up, time's up. How do you all go into therapy mode before you get there? I need to be in the therapy mode the minute I get there, and not take this warm up time, so I can get the most out of my sessions. I say I don't talk about myself very well. She said I'm doing a good job.

[growlycat]

With main T, because of the distance, we do phone sessions for 40 min once every 2 weeks.

CBT T is every week, about 50 min.

I feel like I need to get to CBT T at least 10 minutes early to "warm up" and gather my thoughts.

50 minutes is how long my sessions have always been as well. Things you could try doing before going in:

• Making a list of what you want to talk about
• Try a free association activity, i.e. just doodle whatever comes to your mind down
• Keep a thought/feeling journal and then when you go bring it with you so you have something to reference
• If you are doing a continual subject for your therapy you might try writing down notes during your therapy session, as well as jot down what you were thinking at the end of the session so you can recap before you go to your next session

These are a few ideas I have.

Best Wishes!!

If you worry too much about "making the most out of the session" it can actually work in the opposite direction, it becomes a performance. Remember that therapy is not only about verbalising. You often communicate even when you are not speaking. My T is a big fan of allowing silences, and I have come to realise that those are very valuable. I see him for 45 minutes, twice a week. He has no waiting room so I can't arrive early, but I do spend a quarter of an hour or so at a nearby café just before my session, to gather my thoughts. A few times I have brought something in writing, when there are things I want to say shich I don't think I will be able to tell him succinctly in speaking.

It's not a sprint, and you have as much time as it takes - your T told you so. Some sessions will feel more productive than others, but it is the sum total of sessions that counts in the end.

[AllyIsHopeful]

I also see my T for 45 minutes, twice a week. It was once a week for a streak of time but I was really struggling and needed extra support so I asked for two sessions per week instead.
I also see a second therapist once a week for 50 minutes.

Even though your Therapist did not mention adding a session or giving you longer sessions, that doesn't mean she is closed to the idea. For the most part it is the clients responsibility to communicate needs and make requests. Most T's will accommodate reasonable requests if they agree it is helpful and they have additional time to offer.

[Aloneandafraid]

Mine are 50 minutes once a week too.
I too feel that time just flies by and I would love to be able to afford a second session per week but I can't. I hate that during the week I have so much I want to tell her but once I get in the room I just go numb and literally cant speak - it just comes out in a squeak! so frustrating. My sessions never go over 50 minutes which I hate as very often I am just warming up when its time to go and I leave feeling awful. Worse than when I arrived!

[HazelGirl]

This is one area that my T is terrible at keeping consistent. She's ADD, and it makes time management really hard for her.

Our appointments are scheduled for 60 minutes, and they are always at least that long. But she hates leaving people in distress or interrupting a really deep conversation because time is up. So sometimes the appointment can be up to 2 hours long, if there are no clients after me (I have evening appointments most of the time). I actually really like this because I am not kicked out simply because the 60 minutes is up. We have the space and time to have a proper ending to the appointment without interrupting an important conversation.

I should maybe add that although I try to keep the mature viewpoint that 2x45 minutes a week is plenty plenty, and I know that keeping the time frame is an important therapeutic whatnot, I still usually feel that the sessions are too short. I do wish I could go on for at least an hour each time. But I know that's greedy of me.

[junkDNA]

30 min early in the week. sometimes it goes to 60

60 min later in the week

[JaneC]

I have an hour once a week, and if we are in the middle of something then we sometimes go longer.......but that really stresses me out as I feel I am imposing on T and I need to respect his time, so I pretty much grab my bag, say well see you next week!

Last week we had scheduled a longer session because we needed time to sort some 'issues', and I was there for 90 minutes before I had to leave to get my boy from school. I think he would have gone longer if I needed it. It was a great session and I wish we could have that long every week. I kind of alluded to that today, which he obviously ignored. I think he wants me to ask for what I want, to get my own needs met!

I also arrive about 10 minutes early so I can gather my thoughts, either in the car or the waiting room....I hate it if I have to rush there and have no time for quiet reflection beforehand.

[Aloneandafraid]

Originally Posted by HazelGirl

This is one area that my T is terrible at keeping consistent. She's ADD, and it makes time management really hard for her.

Our appointments are scheduled for 60 minutes, and they are always at least that long. But she hates leaving people in distress or interrupting a really deep conversation because time is up. So sometimes the appointment can be up to 2 hours long, if there are no clients after me (I have evening appointments most of the time). I actually really like this because I am not kicked out simply because the 60 minutes is up. We have the space and time to have a proper ending to the appointment without interrupting an important conversation.

I would love this. I would find this very approach extremely supportive. This is the thing that really upsets me every week as she will end the session even if i am upset and never shows any comfort or warmth in these situations - just bang - out the door and on my way. I really hate this. Your T sounds amazing. I would also love evening appointments as i always have to return to collect my son from school looking a wreck!

2-3 hours long a few times a week

[maykins]

It's 50 mins twice a week, per my choice (I tried once a week for a while but I really need the extra session... it's quite pricey but we can afford it and my husband completely supports this choice).

The appointment always feels too short. She has a 10 min break between clients and I take up that break sometimes... I always have these great epiphanies towards the end of a session... I also get stressed knowing I have to wait for the next session to continue and it's too far. :/

I don't contact my T at all outside of session, it's a decision I made that I won't even ask her if I can... I'm scared it'll make me even more attached.

[stopdog]

one is fifty minutes and the other is 50-60 minutes (I still usually get up and leave at 50)

[tinyrabbit]

I have 60 minutes, currently twice a week. T leaves 15 minutes between clients. I normally go in five minutes before and sit in the waiting room.

Yesterday I was 20 minutes late to my session (which wasn't my fault) and I got in there and just cried and cried as I was so upset at losing the time. Was actually quite cathartic. My T said we could halve the difference and have 10 minutes extra so I only lost 10 minutes and I just loved him for that.

[pmbm]

Always 60 minutes, usually twice a week. Then probably once a month, 90 minutes at a karate studio so I can yell and scream and beat up punching bags with her support.

[Leah123]

These days, I'm on a budget and aim for 60 minute sessions, twice per week with one long email session in between.

However, the actual length of my sessions has varied from 30 minutes to 6 hours, with an average of maybe 90 minutes.

I find it difficult to rush the in-session process of opening up emotionally. The three things that help me maximize the time have been feeling safer in therapy as our relationship has grown over time, writing a lot before session (and in-between) and listening to music before and during session to better connect with myself emotionally.

[brillskep]

60 minutes, usually once a week. But my therapist usually lets me stay at least 5-15 minutes over and, if there is time and we are talking about important things, he sometimes lets me stay half an hour to 45 minutes over the scheduled time. In our first two years of therapy, we even had a few 2-3 hour long sessions when we had some deeper stuff to work on, but now he has more clients and the space he rents is only available two days a week, so he can't do that anymore. I think he still would if he could.

If there doesn't seem to be enough time for what I need, my therapist may let me stay over the time if he can. If not, he lets me call him between sessions, but normally I just make it a priority for the next session if it's important.

[HazelGirl]

Originally Posted by Aloneandafraid

I would love this. I would find this very approach extremely supportive. This is the thing that really upsets me every week as she will end the session even if i am upset and never shows any comfort or warmth in these situations - just bang - out the door and on my way. I really hate this. Your T sounds amazing. I would also love evening appointments as i always have to return to collect my son from school looking a wreck!

It is really, really nice. She does a really good job of winding down the session and finding something light and easy to talk about to wrap things up.

[monkeybrains21]

Wow everyone here gets a lot if time. I only get 50min every other week and that's if in lucky sometimes it's 2weeks between. Or maybe I just don't reach out for support. I've never been big on needing anyone and that's one reason I've started seeing T. I'm a very emotionally void person except for anger.

ours arent timed anymore as we are the only one she sees now ♥

[harvest moon]

Just 45 minutes once a week. And yesterday our session lasted 39 minutes, because the previous woman left 5 minutes later and he didn't add to my session.. And I could hear them laughing and I just wanted to open the door of the waiting room and push her outside the door!

[nottrustin]

My appointments are scheduled weekly for 50 minutes. She has 10 minutes between appointments. Most of the time she takes me in that 10 minutes early (or whenever I get there) and we end my regularly scheduled time. So usually I am there for and hour. On occasion, I have gone over the extra 10 minutes...or even a few minutes after that when we have talked about something really stressful and upsetting. I use to be her last appointment of the day partially because of this.

[sweepy62]

60 minutes once a week, she winds down pretty well, but if i am distressed she will keep me longer, she has lunch after , theres is no client. but I would never stay longer , she has kept me ten minutes longer, I told her to never do that again.

[SoupDragon]

60 minutes but can run over by 5-15 minutes.