[SheHulk07]

How do you tell your T what you want to work on when you know it'll be hard for you? Currently my T is on paternity leave, but once he comes back I'd like to work on this if I'm doing alright. I know that I bottle up my feelings, and have a difficult time truly expressing how I feel other than stressed or overwhelmed. I shut down and trail off while talking, and he's mentioned that I do it before. I think it'd be hood to work on, but I know it would mean being vulnerable and hard work that I'd really have to be prepared for and so would he if it triggered me too much.

I've written notes to my T or outright (with lots of hesitation!) said "I want to work on X, but these are my fears."

[Leah123]

I would suggest just giving him exactly what you've written here. I have used writing to get started on some of these topics, or a couple times, asked her to ask me some questions to help me start on the worst of it. Also, if I can simply say in session I want to talk about something, then the next session, I feel obligated, and that makes it easier, setting my own expectation.

[growlycat]

Sometimes I will tell CBT T that there are things I know I need to bring up with him but I'm not ready yet. At least this keeps the door open to hard discussions.

[Coco3]

From time to time, I wrote my T lots of emails when I could express myself better in writing than in session. Those emails were scary to send, but they helped a lot. My T knew better what was going on in my head and I found it easier to talk about it in session.

Sometimes I would email him on the day of my appointment to say I want to talk about topic 1 and topic 2. I was afraid I couldn't bring them up or that I would avoid them. Now he could guide me and start the conversation.

[SheHulk07]

Thanks everyone! He doesn't allow emails, but is okay with me writing letters and bringing them in. Just have to wait until next month to see him and go from there.