Couch 159: Aemilia, a Couch on the Asteroid Belt

I had never heard of elf on a shelf til i camehere about 6 years go.

I saw your new specs and haircut - totally cute!!

The Elf on the Shelf people have done a phenomenal job of marketing. It's only been around since 2005, but somehow they've convinced people that it's a time honored tradition.

The dog was getting very frustrated becausehe usually goes to bed at 8 pm but the kittens were still out so he trted rounding them up and trying to put into the bathroom where they sleep, but they werent having any of that tonight, so i had to intervene as he was starting to get snappy. 1 minute later and he is fast asleep.

I couldn't relate more to this post. It touches on the ouchie truth that it is a work relationship for the T but a huge & singular relationship for the patient. I am not sure that your anger is unfair. From my perspective, there's validity to it in that the relationship inside session constantly implies a promise it cant keep. Thanksgiving vacation made me so angry and bewildered, bc we had been talking about huge and painful secrets on my side, and then T was like oh I will be out of town(" C ya wouldn't want to be ya bye-bye.") , with no apparent reflection on how I would feel. This led me to contemplate the degree to which we pay them by the fifty minute hour and that is their real worldview v how much it is a holistic relationship that is real at all. My T says it is an artificial relationship and unlike any other- not spouse, not friend , not romantic- he is way more be to say what it is not than what it is. I think they understand us inside session, and both T and client suspend disbelief and pretend- outside session the T is still important to the client, but the T will go on to other aspects of living the way anyone else with a job does.

I am using Tapatalk mainly to access this forum and I feel like I am not seeing everybody's posts. Anybody else having this family?

It's a dreadful book and message.

Potentially controversial opinion: Not only do I dislike the Elf on the Shelf thing, but I also would not encourage my child to believe that Santa Claus is a real person who delivers their Christmas gifts.

Aww! That's a sweet pic.

I didn't know it was a book, all's I know is one day it showed up on facebook and now everybody I know with little kids has one. i am SO glad it wasn't around when my son was little. I find it kinda creepy.

Agreed that it's creepy, and we don't do it at our house. I've seen some posts from friends on FB who will say, "Oh no, we forgot to move the elf last night, how do we explain it?" Just seems like way too much stress!

If I was being bad (rare!) around Christmas time, my mom would just say, "I think I hear the elves outside" (like they were watching to see if I was naughty or nice), and that was enough to scare me--don't think I could have dealt with an actual creature in house.

Sorry to post only when in pain, but I am STILL suffering from pain and leg cramps. Last 2 days woke up with cramps above ankles on side. Heating pad helped. Dr. wants me to see rheumatologist, not neurologist first but even calling it urgent hasn't gotten me in yet! PT starts January 2, nothing available earlier. I got 3 1/2 hrs. sleep last night. Muscle relaxant only works for a few hours. I'm a mess!!!

Advil makes me feel sick all day: Tylenol not much better. I alternate them. I read about pickle juice or mustard for cramps. Anyone heard of that?

I see T today unless I get in to doctor or can't drive. Then she'll be away 2 weeks but I don't care about anything right now anyway. I hope everyone is doing better than I am.

My mom had a chalkboard on the wall of the kitchen she'd put each of our names on and add tick marks for each present we would lose if we were bad before christmas.

I didn't know it was a book either, so I just googled it. I couldn't agree more. And like Art said, creepy.

I think that's awful.

I don't know that it's any creepier for me than the idea that some guy at the north pole can see you, is keeping a list about you, and then comes and drops down your chimney and stalks around your house in the middle the night.

Rainbow - have you tried a chiropractor or acupuncture? Both of those helped me after my motorcycle accident when I was in great pain from a back injury. mds/meds were not useful at all.

I use the term book loosely. It's more of a marketing gimmick packaged as a story. Just hideous.

Thanks, sd. Friends suggested a chiropractor but I'm afraid to go one ever since my former Dr. pointed out someone in my community in a wheelchair due to a chiropractor! Acupuncture is a possibility but first I'd like to get diagnosed.

The rheumatologist's first appointment is January 5 so my Dr. said to try to get into the orthopedic Dr who I've seen a lot for my other injuries. The nurse has to get back to see if he will see me for my kind of symptoms or not.

I figured out why my mom was all "I love you" last night on the phone. Yesterday marked 4 years since my dad passed away. The date had not even registered, I'd forgotten.... weird how the mind works...

I really don't make this stuff up:

"World-renowned trauma expert Janina Fisher has spent decades uncovering strategies to help even the most closed off and challenging attachment trauma clients.
One of the most effective methods, she explains, is the use of the social engagement system—the neural system that controls facial muscles, eye movement, and the tilting and turning of the head and neck.

"How we use our eyes, our facial muscles...those are secret weapons that help clients feel safe."

Now in this transformative online course, Repairing Attachment Trauma: Advanced approaches for deep healing, we've brought together Janina and other leading attachment trauma therapy innovators to share their scientifically-informed techniques to repair clients' long-enduring wounds and promote post-traumatic growth."

So, what, do they make faces at you while you tell them about your trauma?

Yes - and they are doing it for manipulative purposes.

Interesting SD. Come to think of it my t does have strange facial expression when I talk about my trauma. I catch her frowning and then I see her lips turning more up again. I always thought it was because the therapist isn't supposed to show too much emotion, that maybe she's not supposed to look sad.

In spite of all my annoyance with him last night, saw my T today (posted in IST) and everything is fine. He didn't forget that I was hoping for another appointment still, and he had handled the billing thing after all. He also offered to be in touch by email or even phone over the holidays if I need that.

I think basically, I need to tell him more clearly when I'm struggling and I'm not sure why I didn't. I tried to politely hint that I was struggling, and then I was angry when his response didn't acknowledge how upset I was.

Glad that everything is smoothed out, and the session was really helpful as well.

they probably use emojis too! Time for the tin foil sunglasses?!

This is not news. Its just a variation on @@'s evil eye, isnt it? Its just whether you use your powers for good or evil, however you define those things.