Stuffed Animals In Therapy

My brother and I kept few of our childhood toys. We don't play with them but we have them somewhere stored. I also kept few of my daughters toys and she kept two, she slept with them up until about 19-20. I don't feel any need for stuffed animals outside of storing for keepsake but that doesn't creep me at all. I think it is awesome thing if it helps you

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I also have a little teddy bear that I call my "soul care bear", I'd gone to a soul care workshop one time where my drumming group meets and we each picked out a little teddy bear, and made a little bundle of stones and things that were meaningful to us in some way, and put it with the bear. I sleep with that bear every night, and sometimes when I'm feeling particularly vulnerable or emotional I bring my bear with me to work, and hold her on my lap while I'm taking calls. She comforts me a lot. I sleep with my little doggy too sometimes but mostly the bear. My h has never said much about it.

I can understand bringing your own stuffed animal or other object. I think leaving them there is inappropriate. I don't want to see T's patients things. And I would never want to touch a soft object in my T's office. When was the last time they were washed? Do other people wipe their boogers on it? Was their butt sitting on it? Would your T allow someone else to use your object? Or will they tell the client "I'm sorry, but this belongs to another client"? What if all the clients bring an item?

I'd stick to bring the object with me and taking it when I go home.

(Actually, I wish I could bring my dog with me. I brought her when I saw ex-T, but new T's building doesn't allow dogs).

I try something new one time, in the name of science and to see what all the hoopla was about, and this is how vicious rumors get started. And I didn't inhale.

The eeyore thing might give me nightmares.

My T only has one other small stuffed animal on a shelf in her office along with little wolf. I guess I always assumed the unspoken rule was that things on the sofa or little coffee table ( blankets, pillows, a stress ball, a couple smooth stones) easily reachable from the sofa are for everyone to use. Things on the shelves are gifts or mean something to other people. I play with the stone animals sometimes and I know little wolf has been picked up and moved a few times. I always ask if I want to hold an object on the shelves ( usually just to see it more closely/admire it).she always lets me and tells me something about who.the object came from or what it means. Some of them are gifts from clients, others from friends, others from her kids. There are a number including a Freud action figure, carved stones, a small Tibetan prayer bowl etc. Most of the stuff from her kids is on her desk. That stuff I figure I can ask questions about but never ask to touch. I don't mind someone else holding little wolf as long as they are nice to her ( in fact my T had to clean her because her stepkids' dachshund thought she was a toy and took her put of ts bedroom which cracked me up). I assume my T would not allow anyone to hurt her . I like seeing all the other things in the office. I like to know my T has so many sides to her, and so many people who love her just like I do. I like that she is caring enough to give everyone's objects their place. And she always notices if little wolf was moved and puts her back to her proper spot when I come in

My T has a lot of pillows on her couch and the chair I sit in. I have had this weird urge to hold it when I have a hard Session. I haven't but I feel weird for feeling that way.

My T gave me this gemstone that was in a dish next to my chair, so I had something from her office that I can hold and feel safe with. I hold that during my sessions now and I find it very comforting. I think its important to have an object in therapy that makes you feel safe.

Are the stuffed animals in plain sight where other clients can see them? Do you ever wonder if they ask to cuddle with them, too?

I'm so sorry. My brain just went there and it was weird.

Great question!

Some of them are visible. They are on her shelf. I don't mind if others ask to cuddle with them. In that case, T explores with other clients whether they want to find something of their own to bring to therapy to hold. There is a stuffed cat behind her chair that belongs to another client. I have not asked to hold it.

That's a relief!

I'm really intrigued , but I won't ask you to elaborate....

When I was in college a cute girl told me I reminded her of Eeyore.

I would like to take my teddy bear, but I don't think I could snuggle it in T. I would be too self conscious. My T is the only one who knows I have him. He stays on my bed. I hold him, and it gives me warm fuzzies when I snuggle him against my face, but I get a stress response if I hold him too long. Sometimes if I wake up in the morning I can hold him and fall back asleep.

My T has a VERY unhygienic looking stuffed pig in her waiting room. I think it's half slobber and snot. Maybe I should say something...

Hugging releases endorphins I think? Oxytocin? Makes one feel loved, hopefully...

I don't have a cuddly in T, but I wouldn't think it weird if others did. I'd quite like one, but I'd be too embarrassed to ask T.

Don't want to derail this thread, but Art and BayBrony I'm intrigued by your 'totem' animals. What spirituality (?) are you using? Sorry, hope I don't offend, I just genuinely don't know what you're talking about but it sounds so interesting!

Nooo!!!
If anyone tries, I'll chew their face off!

Well if you asked me what religion I follow I'd say I was a practicing pagan but that was not always true as I was raised Catholic and seriously considered becoming a nun.

I use the word in its literally sense, ie: a guide. I've been having wolves and one wolf in particular visit me in my dreams since I was small. When I learned about the idea of totems ( Possibly when I read Clan of the Cave Bear as a precocious 9 year old) I said to myself " oh. The wolf is MY totem"

For my T I also use the word totem pretty literally. She has otters ( and secondarily a stag, just as my "lesser" totem is the fox, who also visits me but less frequently) that visit her in her dreams and have for many years. They provide needed guidance.

So I guess that is how I use the term. An animal whose spirit provides guidance

I wanted to add that as a general rule I'm not a big believer in things being "meant to be"....but it definitely is odd that my T and I share an experience that is certainly pretty uncommon at least in middle class America...

Yes, I had that thought, too....and it's a pretty awesome experience.

My T works with kids and I've only seen one stuffed animal in her office and it is a giraffe. On Friday she asked me if it looked creepy? She said one of her child clients thought it was creepy. She doesn't the stuffed animal on display. She keeps it in a box with the board and card games. I told her I've seen creepier dolls. I've never brought a stuffed animal with me. I think I would feel odd. Sometimes we play Uno though.

My therapist offered me a teddy bear to have at home as a transitional object. I didn't want it. Months later I took a large cloth that we used in a psychodrama. I still use it today to keep me warm, especially on days like today; cold: wet and rainy. I also use on airplanes.

Heck I bring a stuffed animal to the dentist now or wherever I need some reassurance .