Asking for an extra session

Hey
I’ve recently been having a bit of a rough time with my mood and life and therapy has been dragging a lot of old emotions and memories out. I’m just in a real big pit of sadness and every time I allow my thoughts to wander, they go everywhere. Like I connecting the dots.

I guess this all isn’t a negative thing because It’s feels like I am piecing things together slowly. But if feels so heavy and overwhelming and I don’t know how to exactly cope with it effectively without just letting it takeover my every day.

I see my T every two weeks. And I saw her 3 days ago. So I am debating as whether to ask for an addition session next week. I feel like I have a lot that I want to discuss, but with that comes the fear that when the time comes, I’ll put my walls back up and it would be a wasted session..

Theoretically I will be fine if I don’t get a sooner session. But I want extra support right now..

Has anyone had experience with asking for addition sessions? How did it go, what was their response?

Thank in advance <3

Yes I asked some months ago and she was happy to offer an extra one. I didnt have to explain why either. It depends on the t and their availability but you have every right to ask for more support right now especially as you have fortnightly sessions which is quite a large gap. Good luck!

I've asked for extra sessions multiple times with my current T, and he was pretty much always able to accommodate me. I found there was a pattern, where I'd ask for an extra session, then when I got there, I'd be thinking to myself "I didn't really need this, what am I doing?" (And would tell him that.) But then, with one exception, they always turned out to be useful, and I was glad I'd gone. (The exception was early on in seeing T, and for whatever reason, in that extra session, he just talked almost the entire time, and I didn't get to share much of what I wanted to. I told him about it after, and that hasn't happened since, in a regular or extra session.)

So I would ask for one. Just keep in mind, depending on how her scheduling is, it's possible she wouldn't have an opening (in which case you could ask her to call if she has a cancellation). And if that's the case, it isn't anything personal. I ran into that with ex-T and ex-marriage counselor, where they tended to be really booked up, so extra sessions were rare. Though ex-T was able to accommodate me once, and it was really helpful.

My T has never been able to accommodate an extra session. I see him weekly so I am not sure if he just won’t see a client more often or if he is too booked up. He is a very good and popular T so it could just be not being able to fit me in. My Pdoc says that when we are doing hard work and stuff is coming together she would like me to see him 2x/week... so that makes me feel like extra sessions are not unreasonable to ask for. Seeing as you only see your T every other week I don’t see why you couldn’t do weekly when you needed unless their schedule is too full. I would suggest though talking to T about what benefit you hope to get out of the extra session.

T allowed me an extra session one time right after the other session. We were having a lot of communication problems, and it wound up trigger me so bad that I wasn't safe to go home. Luckily, she was free right after.

L has given me an extra session once before too. I was really struggling and needed an extra session that week.

With Former T I had an extra session twice in the ten years that I saw her. Both times it was helpful and I was grateful for it. She also discounted the second session of the week which was nice but I'm not sure that is a common practice. None of my other T's have I ever asked for an additional session. HUGS Kit

I've asked for extra sessions so often that by now it's just the standard that I ask for one (or a phone call, since I currently live in a different city) every Wednesday... when I don't, my T will comment on it after a few weeks. I'm not always on the edge of something really bad, sometimes I just need some support like you. My T has so far never give a negative response and encourages me to reach out when needed.

If you feel like it'd be nice to meet earlier than usual, I'd just try to ask.

I have asked for extra sessions, but she is one of those Ts whose schedule is very tight.


We eventually figured out, though, that our sessions go smoother if I can see her twice a week. Now that I have a reserved spot two days a week, I don't think I've asked for another session. We do sometimes talk on the phone in between, or text.

I started therapy when in crisis and I used to go 2-3 times a week to deal with some of the same feelings you described, now I got 1. Sometimes I still feel the need for an extra session and sometimes T can fit me in, sometimes he can’t. My point is that, if you think it would be beneficial, ask. If it’s not helpful, then you don’t have to do it again, but if it is helpful, maybe you can find a way to make it regular until you feel like you can cut back a little. The schedule doesn’t have to be permanent.