Posted by CareBear04 on April 11, 2008, at 20:12:12
In reply to How to open up in therapy?, posted by estrellita on April 9, 2008, at 23:30:50
estrellita--
i'm glad you posted. i'm having the exact same experience, and it's incredibly frustrating! before my appointment and sometimes during the week, i think of things to say or mention to him, but when i get there, i just freeze up. my T has also expressed frustration, and i feel equally frustrated. there have been some Ts that i've purposely shut out because i didn't like them and sort of wanted to piss them off. that's not the case here, though. i like my T, and i'd like to be able to say what i'm feeling or even just answer his questions without excessive pauses while i try to figure out how i should answer. a couple of times, he has asked me what i want from him. at least he has acknowledged that he doesn't think i do it on purpose, but i don't feel better about it. it makes me feel hopeless because if i can't make use of therapy even with a T i like, then i don't think i'll ever get better and shouldn't bother trying. it's not that i've never had good experiences with Ts, but i've never really been able to open up.one thing that has helped in the past is being able to talk about things other than what i'm feeling. subjects like books, movies, philosophy, architecture, medicine-- somehow i've been able to hold a conversation about these. and over time, these kinds of conversations have helped somewhat as we both become familiar with the other's thought patterns and reactions and stuff, even if outside of a real life context. i think the small talk has helped me because it makes the relationship with the T more real. when they reveal things about themselves, i guess i feel like we're interacting on a more genuine basis than a contractual doctor-patient relationship. is your T willing to have these kinds of conversations or is he a stickler for T-nondisclosure and formality?
anyway, i really do feel your frustration.
cb
poster:CareBear04
thread:822525
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/psycho/20080405/msgs/822779.html