My therapist brought this up during our last session, but I'm not sure how it'd work out. I'm curious why others have brought friends (not family) and how it helped.

I struggle with keeping friends, and I'm not 100% sure why. Like yeah, it's obviously my fault. But having trouble figuring out the pattern of me being a crappy friend besides just being ditched without any disagreements, fights, etc. I mean I have my own assumptions like that people just get bored of me and so on. She wants to help me build better relationships because she thinks a lot of my depression stems from them. I don't disagree, I guess I'm just less optimistic.

[nottrustin]

I have had a friend come with me once. It was when I had a consult with a Emdr T once (not the one I see). I was REALLY nervous. So Bff offered to go with me and then go to lunch. She planned to sit in the waiting room. The T offers for her to join us. We both declined. It was helpful in that the T was super weird. BFF discouraged me from returning even though I was trying to convince myself that I should give her a break.

Originally Posted by nottrustin

I have had a friend come with me once. It was when I had a consult with a Emdr T once (not the one I see). I was REALLY nervous. So Bff offered to go with me and then go to lunch. She planned to sit in the waiting room. The T offers for her to join us. We both declined. It was helpful in that the T was super weird. BFF discouraged me from returning even though I was trying to convince myself that I should give her a break.

This only just reminded me that my 'best friend' thinks I should have stopped seeing her after I was hospitalized last year. And lately I've gotten a sort of hint from her that she kinda wants to nudge me into other friendships instead of improving the one I have with him.

[Lemoncake]

With the first T I saw at my hospital my old best friend came and waited with me, but left 5 mins before I actually started talking. It actually was really nice of her and helpful in reducing anxiety.

My mother once wanted to come with me. I refused as I wouldn't be comfortable with that. Go for it if you think it would help.

[LonesomeTonight]

So, would the thought be almost like doing couples counseling but with friends? Or for the T to ask your friend what kind of friend they think you are? Just trying to figure out the idea here.

My T has helped me with learning how other people might respond to me and how to communicate better with them, but without actually meeting any of the other people. Like if I share, for example, how a friend reacted to something I told her, he might share a couple reasons why she could have responded that way, what could have been going on in her head (while admitting that he didn't know). Some of it has been difficult (especially when he shares his reactions to things I say to him--like his personal reactions), but I've also learned quite a bit, and it's helped me in outside relationships. I think the biggest thing has been learning that many (probably most) people's minds don't work like mind does, so what I might want/expect from them might be different from what they want/expect from me. Stuff like that.

Not sure how much sense I'm making--only partway through my coffee! I guess I'm wondering how much you've explored that sort of thing with your T. If you have, and you've hit a dead end regarding the friendship stuff, then I think it could be worth trying to bring in a friend. You'd just need to be prepared for him or her potentially saying some things that could upset you.

[Omers]

I would want to know more of what T wanted to do. I don’t think it is fair to have a friend come as “support” and find themselves in a therapy session nor do .i think it fair to have a friend come to be set up to tell T negative things about you.
I have gone with friends as a support but set a VERY clear boundary with the T that it is NOT my session I am only support. When a fried/roommate of mine were both in counseling at the same counseling center (different T’s same supervisor) she told her T she wanted to kill me... so there was a meeting with her, her T, the supervisor and me (my T wasn’t available but I hated her anyway and I knew and liked the supervisor). It went well but in large part because I would not trash my friend. I don’t know what they would have done if I had reacted differently. I knew my friend was having transference issues with me and I suggested a safety plan. I never judged her, I don’t think that would be fair in THAT setting. I have had friends come with me twice with my first T but it didn’t help (or hurt), T and I were just not a good fit and nothing helped.
Current T is happy to have anyone I would like come with me to session. He is VERY experienced in groups and very strengths based. My husband and son may come with me at some point (seperatly) but I don’t really have any friends so couldn’t bring one. Closest I have is a former friend that was abusive that I still have minimal contact with. T would allow it and support me but wouldn’t really be comfortable about it especially when/if he knew about the abuse.

[stopdog]

I would not take a friend - I would not find the presence of another person to be useful or supportive.

[coolibrarian]

My wife came with me one time recently, while I was seeing my Pdoc, while my T was recuperating.
I'd wanted the session to go a certain way, and it didn't. In fact, it felt like my Pdoc was in collusion with my wife; I felt ganged-up on. So if the idea pops into my head again, I think I'll leave it there, instead of bringing my wife with me.

[SlumberKitty]

I've never had anyone come to sessions with me. I have had my Mom and a friend on separate occasions drive me to my T appointment and then just sit in the waiting room. That was when I first had to see my former T out of town and wasn't really sure where it was and wasn't really sure doing the drive by myself. Kit

[piggy momma]

When I was inpatient the psychiatrist requested a meeting with my me and my mom and my friend. I'm not sure why since I'm an adult and they had no need to be there. Regardless, I consented, cause I was willing to do almost anything at that point to get out.

[ArtleyWilkins]

It can be helpful. I never took a "friend" to an appointment, but I did take family members (of various varieties). It was for my benefit. Helping them understand what was going on with me at the time; it was supportive.

[velcro003]

I went as a friend to an appt. Well, I went with her (and another friend) for moral support, but we were planning on just waiting in the waiting room. Her T brought us in, and it was awkward and we sat there and lied to the T about our friend's drinking habit.