Well, I've seen others make mention of doing so and it never made sense to me. but now I find myself writing out notes regarding talking points I want to cover at my session tomorrow. I feel great anxiety and worry that I won't get my points across. Does this possibly mean I am worried I won't appear ill enough?

[LucyG]

Try to relax. A good therapist knows how to guide the conversation to find out what's the most pressing issue with a client. Trust yourself to be able to say what needs to be said when it needs to be said. Just speak from the heart.

[kecanoe]

I don't know that having a list indicates that you are afraid of not being sick enough. In my experience, ts are happy to see people who don't have a diagnosis of mental illness who just want to work on stuff.

There have been times where I have taken in pages and pages of journalling for discussion and (more often now) times where I don't take anything in. If it helps you to remember what you want to talk about, I think it is a great idea. After all, I take a grocery list to the grocery store, why not an issues list to therapy?

[annielovesbacon]

I always have to have a list too. I get tired of coming to my sessions and being like, "Nothing has really happened since I last saw you... I just continue to feel like **** all the time." That's not really helpful for either of us. My T is good at her job and asks "Why?" a lot, but we both get tired of that. So, I try to have two or three things I want to talk about each time I go in.

I usually have at least a few notes jotted down to remind myself of what I want to talk about. We do dream work, so I always bring my dream journal. Sometimes I bring poems I've written. It is rare that I go in without at least something. Otherwise I am too tempted to just sit there and chat and not work on anything because dang it, I just like talking with her!

[MBM17]

I have a list every single time. As I go through my week, I write down things that were distressing to me.

I don't write a list to prove I'm sick.
I write a list so that I don't spend an hour shooting the breeze, because when we just chat for an hour, I hate myself afterwards.
I get one hour for someone to really listen and understand, and by golly I'm going to use it. I'm determined.

That's why I write a list.

[growlycat]

I've been keeping a therapy notebook as new t "Kashi" suggested this. I jot down random worries or things to bring up in therapy. Many of you here on of have given me ideas of things to either ask t or bring up on my own. For example the thread on taboo topics in therapy is giving me an idea on how to bring up the hard stuff with t. Maybe I'll start with a core issue that is too hard to bring up but then list the "satellite" thoughts and feelings around the main issue. Then I can tick off these issues as I bring them up. You have all made me curious what grounding exercises look like do that's in the book too. I did joke with Kashi that my journal is becoming "the big book of worries".

[Teddy:)]

I always have notes that I take. I find my sessions are more productive when I do