Sweet Moment In Therapy

[Seasounds]

My Provider and I work all over the emotional and intellectual map. One moment, that occurs from time to time, deeply moves me. Like yesterday, while sharing a painful memory, my Provider shed a couple of tears, in empathy with me (while my Provider maintained a therapeutic presence).

It deeply moves me; having another relect my pain-- through shared/mirrored feelings, connects me into experiencing a "with-ness" that is healthy and healing.

 

[garden]

That's so beautiful, to be able to enjoy that connection during a moment of healing. Thank you for sharing that. I like the way you describe it as a 'with-ness', it reminds me of witness. In some cultures the act of witnessing, where many will gather to witness a rite of passage, or an intervention of some kind, and everyone gathers to help through their presence, and their witnessing... They accomplish their objective together, and in support of each other, as a group, and in that there is connection. It's powerful.

Thanks for sharing this moment with us.

 

[Born to Run]

Wonderful. I know that at such moments it is human to human only, which makes a therapist so human too. To feel that connectedness is what we need, after years of aloneness with the pain. Is a provider a therapist or where does the word come from?

 

[Deleted member 28942]

@Saetva that is wonderful experience. My therapist did the same and that helped me connect with my sadness and pain. For once I felt understood and connected. I felt human.

 

[Bereft 'n Burnt Out]

@Saetva and @UniversalBeing that is a "very beautiful" experience, as my own Counsellor would say, and which I can totally relate to: many times in my Counselling over the last 23 months my C has drawn a finger down his cheek when he is feeling tearful; his eyes have frequently been reddened at the end of a difficult and emotional session (the 'norm' at the moment); his eyes have also filled with tears and he's owned his feelings of feeling incredibly sad by what we've just been working through; and on all these occasions I've found it helps me feel completely "understood and connected" to him and yes, feel "human", too. It has also enabled me to build-up more and more trust in him...knowing that he is totally "with" me.

Then 3 weeks ago, which was the last time I saw him as I've just been away for a much needed break having had an increasingly tough time in my counselling and in life in general since the start of the year (that thing of basically getting worse before I could get better, which culminated in 2 major meltdowns ~ the 2nd one lasting 8 hours :arghh;:bawling::mad::banghead: ~ ending in being burnt-out, which had been a long time coming but, during which time I felt like a hamster stuck on a [trauma] wheel and increasingly disconnected from my counsellor...basically all the multiple traumas I've experienced had got a really good grip and it was like patterns were fighting back all over the place), I related how I'd made a major breakthrough after joining this forum and finding out, through that, that I basically had to own my own trauma/take responsibility for it but, not the cause of it and I'd had so many major insights, too, and could not comprehend how I've survived so much trauma and was still here. I ended this recounting quite shakily with tears in my eyes, whilst being able to look at my Counsellor the whole time (a rarity, as I'm usually so full of shame, I want to hide or crawl away) and my C had tears rolling down his cheeks before I did and said I and what I'd just said was "amazing" and "incredible"...I totally agree a "sweet moment" indeed and a "very, very beautiful" one ~ for me it's like a meeting of Souls in [their] purest form :happy:

With his tears, he still managed to maintain his "therapeutic presence" and didn't let his emotions over-ride mine, though he did have to blow his nose a couple of times when I continued crying :rolleyes:;) as it was an extraordinarily emotionally charged session. At the end of our session, we did a high five to keep that connection. I see my Counsellor again tomorrow and for the first time this year am really looking forward to it, though I know I've still got a long way to go.

Thank you for sharing your sweet and very beautiful moment(s) ~ I wish/hope for all of us to have more "sweet moments" to help in our healing ~ we sure deserve them.

 

[Bereft 'n Burnt Out]

it reminds me of witness. In some cultures the act of witnessing,.....

and in that there is connection. It's powerful.

To feel that connectedness is what we need, after years of aloneness with the pain.

I totally agree with all you have both said ~ thank you for sharing, too :)

 

[Deleted member 28942]

@Bereft 'n Burnt Out I am happy that you have a supportive and understanding therapists. It really makes a big difference. We need someone to acknowledge out pain and hurt to witness what we have gone through, to validate our experiences. It feels liberating to have this experience. No matter how painful it is I keep looking forward to my therapy sessions. Keep up the good work and keep us updated!