Couch 244: Great Expectations

Thanks, Scarlet!

Thanks, Una! I've tried numerous times before, and it wouldn't last that long. I was started to do better with it shortly before the pandemic hit. And then, well...


With the resting heart rate, for a bit there, it was going down daily. I joked to Dr. T that he wouldn't be seeing me 60 days from now, as my heart rate would have gone down to 0 (of course, it levels off at some point!) I also don't fully trust how Fitbit calculates it (I think it's based on sleeping heart rate or something).

Hi Couch,

Hope you're all doing well.
Just wondering whether it's normal to feel especially drained after a couple of consecutive heavy sessions.

The question I want to ask R is 'How can I be in this space of understanding, and feeling the grief, without losing my mind?'

I think this understanding has taken away a protective layer I needed.

I played pickleball today - we just dodged a bunch of storms here and we were not sure we would be able to play

Hugs, Lost. I think it's totally normal. I've heard it called a "therapy hangover." I've felt really wiped out before after an intense session, where I struggle to do work, for example. Like all my brainpower has been used up.

That seems like a good question to ask R. I hope she can support you through that.

hey couchies, hugs/head nods all around. Back to my writing...

I have to take nap after almost every session. I'm just wiped out.

Thank you both! I think it's the designers who are the talented ones haha, I just follow their directions! These are enjoyable to make because the gratification is pretty immediate; I can make 2 in one evening.

Woo hoo! Congrats LT! I imagine that is good incentive to keep it up. I have kind of slacked off walking myself lately, I've been spending so much time writing. But today I got in a mile and a half, anyway. Hopefully I will do better tomorrow!

Agreed that therapy is hard! Sounds like you had some good insights.

Thanks, Artie! Funny, I had slacked off a bit in my writing in exchange for walking. But I finally submitted my third memoir assignment last night. It's great you're doing all that writing. And a mile and a half is great! I wasn't going to walk today, then ended up doing a mile around 8 pm--advantage of Daylight Saving Time.

Way to go at getting another memoir assignment submitted, write on!

I've written/submitted 4 pieces to the private FB group for the writing your way home course just this past week. only one was a poem; the others were more like essays. The floodgates have opened, and I can't stop! The facilitator gives very thought-provoking prompts which helps. I was telling L about one of them today, the prompt was to write about our relationship with truth. That's something I've really been examining since I've been seeing her again; how I like to think of myself as this honest person but really I'm a big fat liar (this, mostly to myself). It was an eye-opening piece of writing for me. It's so much easier for me to think through my fingers on the keyboard than it is for me to talk about what's in my head.

It felt good to walk today. I'm going to get up early tomorrow and get out there again, before I sit down at my keyboard, and my goal is to hit 2 miles. My heel spur has been bothering me the last couple of days so I don't want to push it; I'm gonna wear my big ol' boot to bed tonight that usually helps.

Thanks LT and Scarlet.

R and I ended up having an interesting conversation about meeting needs towards the end of our most recent session.

'It's about identifying what you need, and then finding a way to meet that need.'

'After last session, I felt like I needed to lie down...I didn't, but I felt that need.'

'The other part is learning to listen to that need.'

She offered a way of expressing the question 'What do I need?' that doesn't cause me to freeze.

'What do I need right now to feel OK?'

It's a subtle difference, but somehow much easier to reach for.

Well done on the challenge. Knew you could do it!!!!

Thank you for taking the time to reply EM. I'm sorry I'm only replying now.

I actually don't know how to fix things. He said he would get back to me but didn't actually reply back to my message for around a week. Then I sent a follow up saying I was okay with ending as he hadn't replied back yet. Nothing stopping me from booking a one off session on his website, but I haven't done that yet. It's been two weeks and I haven't seen him.

I had a intro session with Norman's T. She was nice but she wanted me to come weekly too for the first the first 6 sessions. I just need to know I can leave at any point, but it feels like being locked into a contract..

Thanks, Lemon! I appreciate the support.

Hugs, Lemon. I'm sorry you weren't able to work things out with Fin but it sounds like you could still go back to him if/when you are ready to at some point? Re: the new T, I get it not wanting to be locked into a contract but in an opposite kind of way - I don't want to feel locked into open-ended therapy.

I'm back from my walk and getting ready to dive back into my writing. I had a rather big aha in my session yesterday (about how my tendency to over-worry serves me) and that is my topic of the day.

I cooked a quite delicious breakfast for myself - scrambled egg whites with leftover street taco chicken, spinach, avocado, & salsa.

Thanks Art.

I might contact him later on.

Just not feeling so good today at the moment.

Have you guys heard of this?

Mindsera | The world’s first AI-powered journal

Sorry if y'all are tired of my crochet posts. I started this today for my sister's wife, I hope she likes it! It's very bright! The solid color looks blue on my computer screen but it's actually a purple that matches the purple in the variegated. Hope I can get it done before I go visit them later this month!

It's beautiful, Artie! Please keep posting your crochet art.

I love all your knit posts Art. Wish I could do it too!

I'm watching that Apple show (based on the podcast) the shrink next door.

I'm on episode 3 at the moment.

How the Shrink Next Door therapist convinced a millionaire to hand over his mansion and money then work as his handyman | The Sun

I got to spend some time this morning with my friend again (the one who's been in town for a couple weeks) before they hit the road this week to continue their travels. We met for breakfast and brought our hubbies along this time. Great company and good food! We've been friends since we met at work some 35 years ago. Oh the stories we could (and do) tell on each other when we get together ahahaha!