[emmaleemochizuki]

So last week I had the issue of I was struggling, and initially my T told me that I can let her know and she will try to fit me on for an extra session. It didn't happen, as her availabilities were all filled. she apologised after though, and said, next time, she will pencil me in, so I can actually have a session in need be.

Anyway the important point. The main topic in therapy at the moment is all the crap things I went though in the past, (being in foster care my whole life, being abandoned by my biological parents, CSA, bullying, group homes, boarding school etc).. Which are all very traumatic at different levels.

I guess we are making progress in therapy but I do feel like having two sessions a week isn't quite containing the reopening of the wounds, at least not now. there's a 3-4 days gap in between the sessions and often times it feels unmanageable.

I used to cover my feelings by not eating (I had an ED) but now that I am eating, I'm feeling things a lot more. And it is emotionally draining at the moment, except completing my uni work, and also working a part time job. Every night I just get so so tired, and all I want to do is wrap myself up under my duvets and the world is so unbearable I just can't face it.

But I know what tends to happen if I am struggling, and I am not addressing the problem then eventually I relapse with ED because it works to numb and block things. I have been crying a lot. And that's not me. I feel very vulnerable at the moment.

I don't know if a third session would help. Or maybe not. It might be too intense and too much and it might be better not talking about things.

I don't know if I should bring it up with my T, and she what she thinks. I don't know if it is something she would offer. I know she does if it's like one off when I'm in some sort of crisis, but I don't know if it's regular.

I don't want to sound needy. and plus I feel like twice a week is already a lot as most people only see their Ts weekly.

[MissUdy]

I think you should ask her for whatever you think you need. Everyone is so unique, 3 times may be ok for one person and too much for another. I know it would be too much for me. If she thinks 3 times a week is too much then she would say maybe? If it gets too much you could stop. Might be good practice for the 5x weekly sessions that your future therapy courses require?

[LonesomeTonight]

I had been seeing my T twice a week, then shortly after the pandemic started, switched to three times a week, due to increased stress at home and not having some of my usual stress-relieving options available. It was partly to help me cope and also so that I could still keep progressing on my work in therapy rather than just spending every session lamenting the pandemic situation. I've found it to be helpful, and knowing there's not that long of a wait between sessions has made it easier for me (though I want to start going back to two soon).


I agree that you should talk to your T about it. You mentioned your concern about a third session being too intense. They wouldn't all have to be intense ones. For example, you could make one of the weekly sessions more about containing your feelings and coping skills (say, the one before the longer break, like before the weekend). Or maybe you could do the work more gradually, spreading it out over three sessions vs. two, so that you'd have more time for containment at the end of each session. As MissUdy said, you can always try, and if it's too much, you can go back to two. You could also plan to do the three times a week for a set period of time, like 2 months or something.


And please try not to worry about sounding needy or thinking you don't deserve it--I struggle with that, too, so I get it. But try to think that the worst that can happen is your T could say no.

[Elio]

I've been seeing my T for 3x or more a week for the last 2ish years. Yes, I think it has helped me. We did slowing increase the number of sessions per week about about 1 more time per year I have been seeing her. We deal a lot with my transference. To be honest it wasn't until 3x a week that the intense longing seemed to fade to a missing and wanting. Now it's closer to a missing the safety of the space created, missing being the "center of attention" than her specifically. There's also more times that the transference feelings feel less towards her specifically as well.

For a while there was more mental exhaustion. For a time at the beginning of the 3x a week, there was a fair amount of depersonalization, increase in self destructive self punishing behaviors. We had our first really big rupture and I believe I had a major break through. Afterwards we found a much different cadence, much slower pace. My disassociation in session and lingering feelings afterwards have diminished considerably. After the rupture we went to daily contact - emails on days I do not see her. I am free to email her when ever and she will respond when she gets to them. Usually she checks her email 2x a day, that's all. If I miss those times, I usually don't hear from her until the next day.

So, can't really answer for you on if it will be helpful or not. It is risky and potentially a game changer. it's really hard to say because it depends on so many factors. As you know, the best is to talk to her about it and see what the 2 of you come up with.

[RoxanneToto]

If you feel it might be better for you, please ask! If you find it is too much, you can reduce it, but you won’t know for sure if it’s too much or not without trying.