I pissed off my therapist recently, I was sick of him emailing me to "hang in there" so I sent a picture back

Possible trigger:

of a person standing beside a noose with the caption "like this?"

He wrote back no! Not like that. That is not funny.

Another time I sent back the motivational kitten hang in there poster. He didn't pick up on that one. We have similar senses of humor, and he's used to my sarcastic self-deprecating language. Anyways, do you think he'd get butt-hurt if I sent him a gif I made of all the times he said "hang in there" from about twenty emails?

I really want to. But that's mean. I'm grateful he emails me back pretty much instantly when I reach out. And I don't expect long replies, that's what sessions are for. So why do I feel like picking on him for this? Just frustrated. Been going for seven years and I feel no further in my "trauma work" than day one.

[stefano]

Yes, it would be mean. I wouldn't do it.

[nottrustin]

I wouldn't send it. Can you ask him to use a different phrase? Is there something you would prefer he said?

[Out There]

Maybe talk to him about the feelings behind you thinking about doing this ?

[here today]

Originally Posted by freeasabird

. . . So why do I feel like picking on him for this? Just frustrated. Been going for seven years and I feel no further in my "trauma work" than day one.

Yes, this seems like the important thing. Sounds like a lot of frustration.

As great as he is with the emails, it may be that you need to NOT to hang in there with him so much at this point? You've been doing it a long time. Discuss it with him, at least? See if you can get a more satisfactory, specific answer? Maybe take a break or consult another T? He sounds like a nice guy, but. . .

[Omers]

Let him know next session that you are tired of “hanging in there” and want to see more progress from your work together... or at least talk about why it feels stuck.

I didn't send it. Mocking his encouragement isn't going to help anything. I get frustrated cause I send these long emails and the replies are always so short and flippant. Then again, what am I expecting.

It's topics I have a really hard time bringing up in person. I dissociate so badly at my appointments, like staring at the floor and mind blank.

Have tried printing out writings to bring along, or just reading from my phone, but it seems we never get past one or two topics before the conversation veers off into something shallow we've already discussed to death.

It's probably in my head he's sick of me, not seeing any change in this long. Like lost interest or something. He's retiring in a couple years so...I don't know.