[OneWorld]

I'm really stressed out about my session tomorrow so I can't sleep. I'm laying here rehearsing what I will say to bring up the things I need to say but don't want to talk about.

Do you find that it is helpful to plan what you will say or do you think it is better to just 'wing it' when you get there?

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[HazelGirl]

Plan it.

But maybe write it down so you stop obsessing?

[Leah123]

Originally Posted by OneWorld

I'm really stressed out about my session tomorrow so I can't sleep. I'm laying here rehearsing what I will say to bring up the things I need to say but don't want to talk about.

Do you find that it is helpful to plan what you will say or do you honk it is better to just 'wing it' when you get there?

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It's most helpful for me when I write out everything I want to say in a letter to her. I give her the letter during our session so she's caught up as to where I'm at, and I don't forget anything.

[stopdog]

I do plan and practice. Sadly for me, the woman never knows her lines so the whole thing often goes off course due to her failings.
I once gave her a list of approved responses, but she failed to read them convincingly.

[OneWorld]

Originally Posted by stopdog

I do plan and practice. Sadly for me, the woman never knows her lines so the whole thing often goes off course due to her failings.
I once gave her a list of approved responses, but she failed to read them convincingly.

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[OneWorld]

Originally Posted by Leah123

It's most helpful for me when I write out everything I want to say in a letter to her. I give her the letter during our session so she's caught up as to where I'm at, and I don't forget anything.

I have written a letter before but then I chickened out when I got there and didn't read it. Maybe I should try that again.

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[Parley]

If thought I was going to lose my courage to have a conversation, I would probably send an email and mention what I want to talk about. Then I would take notes for the things I don't want to forget.

[ScarletPimpernel]

I used to plan. I actually prefer not planning. I found that when I planned, it never went right anyways. So if I'm having issues remembering, sure I'll jot down a few reminders.

Now I do, however, have a really bad habit of obsessing. I play scenarios over and over and over again in my head. It doesn't help prepare me in anyway as reality is always different than what my mind comes up with. But it's something I've done since I was little, and it's difficult to shut it off.

[lightcatcher]

If I'm scared I won't bring it up I will also email. I have decided to give up practicing talking to T in my head in hopes of the session going like that as I get mad and disappointed. But that's ok, some times winging it makes the conversation flow better. :-)

[someone321]

I do that, sometimes more, sometimes less, but I also have a plan what I'll be talking about... With previous T, I had even like scripts in my head what exactly and how I will say it, with current T, I just know which topic I'd like to cover...
I have to practice saying some things in order to convince myself to actually say them aloud... And to cover possible responses so that I won't be surprised Without preparing myself I'd really struggle to talk about worst moments in my life, I guess I'd just sit there in a quiet without saying a word - thus, in my case it helps...

[tinyrabbit]

I used to plan, rehearse, write things out, practise saying them to my cat first.

Over time it's reached the point where I mostly don't do this, because to me it feels like a way of avoiding my feelings - so much easier to recite from a script than to actually speak from the heart. I personally find it helps more to speak without having rehearsed but I think it's fine to do it if it helps you get things out.

[OneWorld]

Originally Posted by tinyrabbit

to me it feels like a way of avoiding my feelings - so much easier to recite from a script than to actually speak from the heart.

I think that is the same with me. When I do this, the sessions don't always feel quite as meaningful.

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[Soccer mom]

SOOOO interesting you ask this. I see my T about once a week. Last week and this week I've got stuff to tell her I'm nervous about. So, yes, I completely rehearse in my head pretending we're having the conversation. Interestingly enough, I think of her questions and it has helped me process things and figure things out. I'll have little "ah hah" moments. The day of I try not to think about it at all so the conversation will flow better and I won't get in there and blirt it all out as if I've memorized my lines.

[Perna]

Your session is today? What did you decide? Was it helpful?

I like to write things, especially when they are stressing me and just running around randomly in my head. Sometimes getting them listed and rank ordered helps, so I can work on the ones that seem to really matter the most to me? I would just take number 1 and say to T something like, "I was having trouble sleeping last night because I was thinking about X" and see where that takes us.

[OneWorld]

Well, it didn't go well. I tried to get out of my head by not thinking so much but then I froze when I got there and wasn't able to talk about anything important because I was in my head too much.

Very frustrating.

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[PeeJay]

I come in with a list of bullet points of discussion items.

For particularly deep emotions or fact sharing, I write it up in a story format and read the story aloud. I print two copies so the therapist can follow along as I read. Also, I don't want her looking at me while I read.