When you go into a session do you have an agenda or does your T set the discussion?

[ElectricManatee]

I lead. Very rarely I will be too overwhelmed to know where to start and then she might ask some questions, but 99% of the time I decide where we go. Sometimes she "checks in" on things I haven't talked about it in a while, but I only talk about those things in detail if I feel like it when she asks.

We always start with my "diary card" which is basically my feelings and behaviours over the past week. So we start the session with what I've put down on the card and go from there.

[AllHeart]

Who leads? In my dreams: ME!! In waking life: not me, except on rare occasion.

[ChickenNoodleSoup]

I always get asked what I'd like to talk about or what my week was like or something similar. If I don't really have a whole lot, T will search for something to talk about. If I mention a lot of different things, he will pick out the ones he thinks are most important. But I can always say that I'd like to talk about something different or what the exact topic should be, and we will talk about that.

[stopdog]

No one ever seemed to have a clue about what was supposed to happen until my person got very ill and then I decided the therapist could be useful for me to vent about that. So I used the woman in that capacity and I lead. I told her not to talk - her talking was never useful.

[Yzen]

I lead almost always. When I haven't led, I notice the session goes off in places that doesn't seem well focused on my issues.

[Amyjay]

I lead and T follow but I have noticed that she manages to keep to the agreed upon path of our goals for treatment by always relating the work I bring to the goals we have. Always.
Occasionally she will start the session with something she wants to follow up on from the previous time. Not often though.

[88Butterfly88]

With this t I always lead. This therapy center's motto is the client calls the shots, t told me that on day one.

[MoxieDoxie]

Ugh...he always starts session with asking what I needed to cover in session today. I am always nervous going into therapy and I wish he just knew what to do and how to tackle my disorders

[kecanoe]

I don't necessarily go in with an agenda, but I would say that I generally lead the session.

[Fernwehxx]

I dont know. I think I want and need her to lead. I lead all the time, all day every day at work... In therapy, I do not want to lead and finally be lead and guided.

[InnerPeace111]

I come prepared to each session with the agenda and I lead. I love how my therapist is just so open to hearing about and discussing what’s on my mind each week. She truly has no agenda for me - no expectations, no goals, no anything. It’s all up to me. I find it all incredibly empowering and respectful that I can take my life in any direction that I choose and can take comfort in the fact that she will support me.

I have to.

He's far too busy stepping on my toes to do anything else.

[TrailRunner14]

There’s usually (I would say always, but that’s a big word) that has brought itself out loudly in my journal or my life that I come in with.

He asks me how I’m doing and it goes from there.

It feels really nice and comfortable.

It feels safe to feel like I’m not pushed into an agenda that doesn’t relate to me and what I’m experiencing.

[WarmFuzzySocks]

I usually start, then it turns into a conversation. Occasionally, she’ll say, “I’ve been thinking about...” and we’ll start with that, but not often.

[LostOnTheTrail]

I lead, the majority of the time. If I'm stuck, she will help me not stay in the silence for too long. 'Can you tell me what is going on for you at the moment?'

[feileacan]

My T starts the sessions (because mostly I seem to be unable to) but I lead. I expect him to restart the conversation again if we fall silent and I seem unable to continue but even then I still lead. I don't have an agenda and typically I go in having absolutely no clue what we're going to talk about.