[guilloche]

I'm a little confused. I've heard at least 2 people in real life say how much they LOVE therapy. How GREAT it is, how much they learn, and how EVERYBODY should have a therapist to go talk to.

I wish I knew who these therapists are that are eliciting that kind of a response.

That has not been my experience AT ALL. I find therapy awkward, painful, and generally disruptive of my life outside of therapy (I guess I don't "contain" stuff well, so therapy stirs alot up, and the rest of my life starts to fall apart.)

My last therapist asked me how I felt in therapy... I told her that I thought she was nice and didn't want to hurt her feelings, but honestly, it felt like being dragged behind a truck, over broken glass, on a hot dusty dirt road in the middle of summer. Pretty much awful. I don't think I've ever walked away from therapy and felt great!

So... what do you think? Do you *love* therapy, and if so - why? How did that happen?

[NowhereUSA]

i don't love therapy tho i appreciate it. for me, i have children and i have family and idk, therapy is where i go to make it all about me. plus, my parents ignored my mental health problems and it was very invalidating. it's been very nice to have someone listen to me and not make me feel like i'm an idiot. it's also helped me articulate what i need to my hubs.

somewhere in there i got attached to my t a bit. i will be sad when therapy is over and that makes me hate therapy on some level. i didn't want to like him

[stopdog]

I do not find it likable. It is like chemo or something. It might be useful and one hopes it can be, but it is not fun to endure and can have awful side effects such that one can wonder if the cure is worse than the disease. I don't love the therapist or the activity. I have figured out ways to make the first one useful in non-orthadox ways. The second may be more usual in the usefulness, but I don't love that one either. It is less unpleasant than interacting with the first one. I would say I do not despise either therapist, but I don't look forward to seeing them either. I do not feel better after a therapy appointment. At best I feel neutral. Usually with the first one I feel frustrated rage. The second is more like okay so what.

[kororain]

Not fun, no. More like necessary. I *do* think almost everyone could benefit from it. But it's not peaches and cream or anything.

[ThisWayOut]

I guess I would say I "love" therapy when it's validating and when I get something out of it. I certainly don't think it's for everyone, but I tend to get something good out of every session (even the painful, yucky, frustrating ones). I see it as growth-potential, and I love that part about it. I guess I don't necessarily love therapy as much as i appreciate what I get out of it in the long run.

[Mactastic]

I love my therapist but not the therapy.

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[HazelGirl]

I like the discoveries I find in therapy, and the way it helps me. But the actual process of going through therapy sucks. Like you, it stirs up a ton and I have a hard time with containment.

[Leah123]

I love therapy.
Must be my strong masochistic streak.
But pain for the sake of refinement is worth it to me.
And she likes to occasionally talk literature, music, spirituality and more.
A good companion on a tough road makes much of the difference.

[phaset]

I really like therapy. It let's me get out things that have been stuck inside for so long.

[Petra5ed]

Originally Posted by guilloche

So... what do you think? Do you *love* therapy, and if so - why? How did that happen?

Therapy has been awkward and difficult for me too. It's dredged up stuff I had stuffed down deep. I've found myself crying randomly about this or that thing that happened when I was a kid etc. things I would have not even thought about before. But yes, I love therapy.

When I started I was very depressed and I felt totally alone, even if I was in a crowd I felt alone. Then I felt a connection with my therapist. At first it was terrifying, and just another thing I could lose. I wanted to obsess, seduce, and present to him a "better" version of myself. But, in total desperation on a whim and to honor my T, I decided to just "humiliate" myself and shoot for brutal honesty. I credit him in a large part for this new courage I have, just something about the way we talk that makes me feel safe, like I know he won't go home and laugh at my weaknesses or secretly disdain me.

I've tried not to act out my crazy feelings but to write them down and then hopefully talk about them. And I've gone to sessions and had to sit there taking deep breaths before I could blurt out with a shaky voice whatever it was that was making me feel like such a horrible shameful crazy person. Then I fell in love and felt obsessed... I brought it up as well, expecting it to be the final straw and to get a referral to some other T.

But instead of abuse and referrals elsewhere, he has listened, like really listened to me, and cared, and been unwavering in kindness. If I hate something about myself he'll find a way to re-frame it into a positive. Somehow through all the terror of thinking he will vanish or fire me, eventually I felt loved by him (in a paternal way). Slowly, bit by bit, I have found the courage to look at my truth, accept, forgive and finally to love some of the little bits about myself, weaknesses and all. I'm so grateful and lucky to have my T.

I love therapy. That doesn't mean it's not difficult, embarrassing, hard. But I adore my T so underneath all of the above, is a feeling care from her.
Never having that growing up, I now love receiving it from this T.

[healingme4me]

I find it beneficial, wouldn't say I *love* it. I keep going because I find I get something from it. I've done a lot of self help, on top.

I do love how far I've come, I've learned not to recommend it, to others. That's how I had a rift with my bff. She ended up doing it, anyways

You get out, what you put in, imo.

[Mike_J]

Good question.. I usually feel a better after therapy, therapy has helped me SO much, and I adore my therapist.

But even with all that I wouldn't say I "Love" therapy not sure if I even like it, but clearly don't dislike it. That may not make the most sense, but hey I don't have to make sense one of the benefits of being crazy.

[guilloche]

Wow - it's really interesting to me to read the wide range of responses. I wonder if it gets back to what I've seen people saying here, that the most important factor in how well someone responds to therapy is how well they "click" with their therapist? I don't feel like I've found a therapist yet that I really, truly click with - but I don't know if I will/can.

I'm happy to hear about those that do really love their therapy, or at least are seeing enough positive results to appreciate it... though I'm a tiny bit jealous!

Yes and no. I like my therapist, and I like being in his office, it is the safest place on earth for me. I miss therapy, and my therapist, like crazy right now. It is unusual (not unique, but unusual) for me to have somebody who listens and is interested when I talk about myself, and it's definitely unique in my experience to have somebody who is interested in discussing the relationship between me and that somebody. My life has improved in the two years that I've been seeing my T.

But therapy is also painful and unpleasant, and there are many things about it that I do not like. Like you, guilloche, I find it difficult to contain stuff in between sessions, and keep it down until I can bring it out again at my next session. I don't love therapy, and I do not often leave a session feeling great. It is still the single best thing I have ever done for myself, though.

[pbutton]

I like it in theory. I like my T. I like getting better. But when I am actually in the room, struggling to spit out things that seem disorganized, confusing, messy, needy, and horrifying, HELL NO I do not love it. It is a lot of WORK and unpleasant uncomfortableness.

T has also said that the work of therapy is not pleasant. There are good moments in our relationship, but therapy itself is not a fun thing.

[growlycat]

My main T once said that I like him, but hate therapy.

These days, I kind of like it--the most painful part I think is over for me, it is sort of maintenance right now.

[unaluna]

Its torture, is the word ive been using lately to t. He doesnt seem to like hearing that. But its not because of anything he is or isnt doing. Its because of buried feelings im finally getting touch with, something like that? I have a hard time figuring out human things. I dont mean human beings - i mean things related to humans.

I have to say I love the process overall, and I definitely therapy-love my t. Sometimes the work is hard, painful, gut-wrenching stuff, yes, but it's all part of my process and it's helped me grow so much as a person.... Sometimes its exciting like with some of the dream work we do when i go OH! I GET IT!!!! .....Maybe it's closer to say I love what therapy is doing for me.

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[CameraObscura]

I do love therapy. It's painful and hard, and awkward, and sometimes I feel like I have to drag every word out of my mouth and it's never the right word, anyway. Sometimes I am wondering why my therapist didn't email me back, the jerk (I hope you're okay, jerk). But I do love poking my psyche with a sharp stick, I like learning what makes me tick, I think it's good for my art, and I work through childhood issues and learn to be a better person and all of that stuff.

[roimata]

My opinion of it swings between fondness and loathing. In the delicate way of a wrecking ball.

[brillskep]

Sometimes my therapist screws up and sometimes I feel hurt, but most of the time, I really enjoy therapy and find it pleasant and helpful. If things change and I will dislike it and find it disruptive most of the time, I think I would owe it to myself to stop it, perhaps go to a different therapist or just take a little break.

[maykins]

I enjoy the aftermath. I enjoy sitting in a room where I can speak freely and not be judged or get someone angry because I wasn't using the exact right tone.

I do not like the ending of the session and the feeling that I'll have to walk around this way until my next session.

Originally Posted by roimata

My opinion of it swings between fondness and loathing. In the delicate way of a wrecking ball.

Nicely put!

[Petra5ed]

Originally Posted by guilloche

Wow - it's really interesting to me to read the wide range of responses. I wonder if it gets back to what I've seen people saying here, that the most important factor in how well someone responds to therapy is how well they "click" with their therapist? I don't feel like I've found a therapist yet that I really, truly click with - but I don't know if I will/can.

I'm happy to hear about those that do really love their therapy, or at least are seeing enough positive results to appreciate it... though I'm a tiny bit jealous!

Guilloche I think you really hit the nail on the head, it is about how well you click with your T in my opinion. Prior to my recent one I'd seen maybe 5 or so, for varying lengths of time from 1 session to 15ish, and I just wasn't able to make the changes I am now and didn't feel as engaged or motivated. The one notable difference was on a gut level I felt strongly that my current T was meant to be my therapist. I thought all the T's I've seen were nice people, but maybe a bit different, maybe not so capable of understanding me and where I'm coming from... if that makes sense.