Have you ever by mistake in the heat of emotion, actually behaved as if T was some significant person in your life?

For example...since we all are talking about vacation

Scream at T "you're always leaving me" when the fact is that T is only leaving for a short period of time.
?
Or for example: ask T not to hit you?

Is that transferance? Or is that some break in reality?

Thoughts?

[ECHOES]

Just part of therapy....and transference.. and honest emotional rsponses.

Go with the flow and let it happen.. it's all something to learn from.

[Perna]

I flinched once when my group therapist raised her hand quickly next to me, to ward off her hitting me :-) My stepmother use to hit me so anyone (not just T) who moved too fast or raised their hand when I wasn't expecting it, etc. would make me nervous.

It's just transference. One time I totally responded to T as though my mother was sitting in that chair. We were talking about SI and I literally yelled at him. I yelled, "I don't wanna %#@&#! talk about this with you because you don't %#@&#! give %#@&#! anyway!!" (Of course this was not true of T at all-- in fact he cared very much. I was responding to him as though he were someone else).

Also, if it was a psychotic break, you wouldn't really have the awareness to sit and ponder if it was a psychotic break. You would completely believe that T was this other person and have no awareness that she is not.

Use this as a valuable transference experience, especially since you talk about how angry you get at your T-- I think you mentioned that you hate her. It sounds like you are doing some very good work there.

</font><blockquote><div id="quote"><font class="small">Quote:</font>
pinksoil said:

Also, if it was a psychotic break, you wouldn't really have the awareness to sit and ponder if it was a psychotic break. You would completely believe that T was this other person and have no awareness that she is not.

Use this as a valuable transference experience, especially since you talk about how angry you get at your T-- I think you mentioned that you hate her. It sounds like you are doing some very good work there.

</div></font></blockquote><font class="post">

....but what if at the moment, you really THINK it is the other person, but then realize it is not? Is that transferance?

Also, how can it be valuable if I am yelling at my T. It's mean.

Thanks everyone for helping.

[Kiya]

not from t, but i did duck when i though a co-worker was gonna hit me. i was so embarrassed i ran into the ladies room crying.

[Mouse_]

Yes its transferrence. I did it yesterday in my session. Theres been times I wish I was pyschotic or madder then I am as that would be easier, or so it seems, it would be out of my hands to do anything about it, not have to work through it, but alas T sits there and allows me to finally "come too" and how does this help? well the more times you do it, the more times the response is different the more you begin to see that what happened before isn't happening now and it is all memory blanketing our today, accept we register a different outcome eventually...we do it in all walks of life accept the general joe on the street wont be aware of this and will be pulled into the transference from their own transference, but with T she knows how to respond...

[chaotic13]

My T is usually pretty calm, low key voice, and seems to deliberately avoid signs of aggression. One session I was drifting off in my mind, staring at the floor and I finally answered one of those questions about how something made me feel. My T immediately sat up raised her hands over her head and spoke loudly. In side I about dove for the door. My next thought was "%#@&#!, don't flinch, you can take her down easily if you had to." Only after this initial response was what she actually said processed, "Well hell yeah!, most people would feel that way." I think she was just excited at finally making some progress. She had never shown me aggression and was no way a real threat to me, but the minute she move quickly or raise her voice I was ready to fight.

[Kiya]

mckell, did you guys process that? - t moving quickly and scaring the *&$^# outta you?

[chaotic13]

KIYA... :-) Of course not! I've come a long way over the past year but no, that happened a while ago. I did however just last week refer to tendencies like this in a general way by saying... "I'm a bit hyper about my personal space." She was probably thinking "NO SHHHIT!" but instead just accepted the statement. I think my T is focused on down playing some of my quirky behaviors in an effort to get me accept that they are "NORMAL" for me. I think she is about done with me, honestly.