Therapeutic vs. supportive relationship

I think my therapy has improved since I found PC. I have been working with my T for about 6 months and I was very uncertain about how therapy should look & feel and was so self conscious before I connected here. (Well, I'm still self conscious, but less so) I was in therapy about 15 years ago for 3 years but it didn't feel anything like my therapy does now. I realize now that it was a supportive but not therapeutic relationship. At the time, my best friend was also in therapy and I remember she used to ask me if I thought about my T outside of session. I said no, and she said she always wondered about her T. Now that I am in a therapeutic relationship I realize what a huge difference there is. I wonder if it was where I was at (emotionally) then or if the therapist was not so good (but I really liked her a lot) or if I couldn't connect to a female T. Now I have a male T. Many of the issues that are coming up now, were things I acknowledged to my previous T but never got to the feeling state. It could also be because of recent events that have triggered my trauma again. Gee, sometimes I feel like there is much time lost.

The forums here--this one and some others--have helped me to understand the work I am doing in therapy. Thank you all.

Sister

Hi Sister, yes I find reading here and other places gives me more courage also.

Well Sister I think you are on the right train now.... I think that I like a combo thing but the therapeutic has to be there. Support and no confrontation or connection...or moving forward... then you are not leaving the station...

And yes, I am finding this to be an excellent site. I have been to others where people are wanting to wallow (which we all know is necessary sometimes....) but I am not seeing the incredible desire to move forward. It is hard but so important.

Good for you......

Oh PC has definitely changed me. Otherwise, I would've never said any of the stuff I said today! I also think I've had supportive in the past.

I never knew I could be so attached and feeling abandoned all the time by him. At least I know now that I was wrong about that...

going to look for a report from Alameda.... hate that mixture feeling... it is SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO exhausting.

I hope you'll be proud of me Secret! Feel free to ask me more good questions though...

yeah sister, PC/all the great people here.... makes a great difference to me. I've posted about things and someone will so Oh tell your T that.. and it would have never occurred to me to do that because I keep things in. Then I find the courage to do it and whatever it is I have told her, the telling and the experience around the telling.. her reply and our analysis, has always been rewarding and helpful.

I can't believe how many years I spent in therapy, off and on, and didn't realize that the relationship with the therapist is so important. It's so nice to be able to feel connected to my T and not feel ashamed or needy or childish or horribly weird because of it... Good grief!! It might be the only 'normal' thing I do come to think of it!! lol

PC seems as therapeutic to me sometimes as therapy itself.

ECHOES