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Comfort items
- Post starter Rex
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Kintsugi
Sponsor
Sometimes I bring one of my dogs. I find her presence very grounding. Occasionally I bring my iPad. My T said I looked far more relaxed with it on my lap. She's probably right. I feel much better when I have some sort of keyboard nearby. I had one of those old school word processors when I was a kid, and I panicked without it. I think my iPad brings me similar solace.
D
Deleted member 37474
I bring a a grande cafe mocha with an extra shot, fully equipped with a coffee stopper. I play with the coffee stopper for much of my time in there. I find it grounding.
Also, I bring a sweater/soft jacket because the soothing blue room that I choose tends to be cold, but it has pillows that I can bury around me on a small couch unlike the other room that has chairs and a lamp.
Also, I bring a sweater/soft jacket because the soothing blue room that I choose tends to be cold, but it has pillows that I can bury around me on a small couch unlike the other room that has chairs and a lamp.
W
Wishforescape1
In the last few months I bring cold water with a straw. If a feel myself going away, not being able to focus and continue what I am saying, or my mouth gets so dry I cannot open anymore, I just sip water and I can stay more present. I also usually wear a string bracelet. It wasn't on purpose, but it bring me comfort to move it and play with it during the session.
D
Deleted member 33052
I'm so happy to see your post, Rex. :)
I have a piece of obsidian. I ground down the edges just enough that I wouldn't inadvertently cut myself, and the sides are smooth...so impossibly smooth. I hold it. Run my thumb along it. Brush it against my lips when I need a more intense tactile experience.
Would you describe your comfort/grounding object, Rex?
I have a piece of obsidian. I ground down the edges just enough that I wouldn't inadvertently cut myself, and the sides are smooth...so impossibly smooth. I hold it. Run my thumb along it. Brush it against my lips when I need a more intense tactile experience.
Would you describe your comfort/grounding object, Rex?
joeylittle
Sponsor
@TexCat - I bring coffee too :). Always hot, even in summer. The warmth of the cup is comforting and coffee is a very normalizing sort of thing for me - I feel more in my own skin when I've got a cup of coffee.
digger
Sponsor
I have a small object my T gave me last summer when I was in a period of crisis. She offered me from a collection of things she had on a shelf - most were stones with rough edges that I think I would just have hurt myself with, but this is smooth and round and fits easy in my hand or pocket.
She gave it to me initially so I had something to associate with the safety of her/her office outside of sessions, but it's actually proved really useful in sessions too. I used to scratch up my arms pretty bad or not be able to keep my hands still when anxious or upset, but I find that holding it, turning it over in my hands etc helps to minimise some of that.
I bring it everywhere with me in my pocket, but therapy is the only place I bring it out.
She gave it to me initially so I had something to associate with the safety of her/her office outside of sessions, but it's actually proved really useful in sessions too. I used to scratch up my arms pretty bad or not be able to keep my hands still when anxious or upset, but I find that holding it, turning it over in my hands etc helps to minimise some of that.
I bring it everywhere with me in my pocket, but therapy is the only place I bring it out.
UnicornSightings
Platinum Member
Never really thought of it as a comfort item before but that's a good take! I bring something to fiddle with because I'll get uncomfortable sometimes. So coffee a lot of the time or a water bottle. I drink excessively when I'm in the spotlight lol! It's just something to do instead of sitting there. Plus I can drink instead of answer the question right away. And sometimes my throat will get dry. I have brought bottles that I will sometimes peel the label off of. My first T shamed me for that! I felt so awful! Said it was distracting to her and to please stop!
If I don't have anything I'll play with my shoe or my lip gloss tube or a little water bottle that she has there. I would totally bring an animal if that were allowed! So cool that someone can bring their dog! Although mine would prob pee in her office...
If I don't have anything I'll play with my shoe or my lip gloss tube or a little water bottle that she has there. I would totally bring an animal if that were allowed! So cool that someone can bring their dog! Although mine would prob pee in her office...
Tornadic Thoughts
VIP Member
My water bottle full of lemon water, my diffuser necklace with a favorite essential oil, and my small notebook that I refer to as my brain so I can be sure to note the many helpful things I tend to forget. If I've been prepping vegan vittles that day, I'll also take a sample to the therapist for her to try. She's also working on cleaning up her consumption and that gives us a comfortable starting point to begin our discussion.
That's changed drastically through the years as I used to take a favorite starbucks selection (mostly mocha frappe, or whatever you call it) and a sweet (mostly chocolate) baked good of some variety, under the false impression that I was simply "treating" myself at the same time I was receiving treatment, which I felt was being quite therapeutic for self as well, until my body painfully taught me differently.
That's changed drastically through the years as I used to take a favorite starbucks selection (mostly mocha frappe, or whatever you call it) and a sweet (mostly chocolate) baked good of some variety, under the false impression that I was simply "treating" myself at the same time I was receiving treatment, which I felt was being quite therapeutic for self as well, until my body painfully taught me differently.
barefoot
Diamond Member
I take a whole load of stuff with me - I basically fill a ruck sack!
Main things:
- A stuffed toy (my favourite from when I was a kid - I slept with him for years) He came up in a session once and my therapist suggested I retrieve him from my parents loft, start sleeping with him again and start bringing him to therapy as she thought he sounded like a useful transitional object that we could use in sessions. I felt very self-conscious about it at first but, almost a year on, I am still sleeping with him every night and taking him to sessions. I think the idea was that I could hold/hug him in sessions if I needed to ground/self-soothe. I haven't ever managed to hold him there - he just sits on the sofa beside me. But I do like that he is there and I will sometimes find myself stroking his ear!
- Cosy socks. I'll often take my shoes off in session (it helps me to stay grounded if I can feel the floor, which is harder with shoes on) and I like to put snuggly, warm, thick socks on.
- I generally wear some kind of scarf. Having my chest/throat covered feels safer than not. And I tend to fiddle with it a bit and sort of stroke the material over my face a bit when things get uncomfortable.
- A clock. Because I can't see a clock in the room and I hate looking at my watch during sessions. And I get very engrossed and lose track of time so I like to easily be able to discreetly glance and know how we're doing for time so that I don't get caught out by her suddenly saying we need to wrap up. So I take my clock from my home office - it helps me to feel more relaxed about monitoring time.
- Water - always! And I take my own cup, which doesn't get used at any other time. It is just my therapy cup!
- Perfume/essential oil - for grounding rather than for comfort. But maybe they are part of the same thing?
- Writing materials for in case my voice gets hijacked and I want to write something down instead. So, I generally have a notebook, some flip chart sheets and felt tips, a mini white board with a marker pen...
The ritual of getting everything out of my bag and setting things up at the start of sessions is part of checking in with myself/the space and getting settled in, which I suppose is me trying to feel safe and at ease and reduce any anxiety too. And then getting everything packed up at the end forces me to have to be in some way present and grounded when I leave, which can be a challenge after a tough session where I've dissociated.
It is a lot of stuff to take - I sometimes feel like I'm moving in, the amount of stuff I unpack when I get there! But I definitely find them helpful.
Main things:
- A stuffed toy (my favourite from when I was a kid - I slept with him for years) He came up in a session once and my therapist suggested I retrieve him from my parents loft, start sleeping with him again and start bringing him to therapy as she thought he sounded like a useful transitional object that we could use in sessions. I felt very self-conscious about it at first but, almost a year on, I am still sleeping with him every night and taking him to sessions. I think the idea was that I could hold/hug him in sessions if I needed to ground/self-soothe. I haven't ever managed to hold him there - he just sits on the sofa beside me. But I do like that he is there and I will sometimes find myself stroking his ear!
- Cosy socks. I'll often take my shoes off in session (it helps me to stay grounded if I can feel the floor, which is harder with shoes on) and I like to put snuggly, warm, thick socks on.
- I generally wear some kind of scarf. Having my chest/throat covered feels safer than not. And I tend to fiddle with it a bit and sort of stroke the material over my face a bit when things get uncomfortable.
- A clock. Because I can't see a clock in the room and I hate looking at my watch during sessions. And I get very engrossed and lose track of time so I like to easily be able to discreetly glance and know how we're doing for time so that I don't get caught out by her suddenly saying we need to wrap up. So I take my clock from my home office - it helps me to feel more relaxed about monitoring time.
- Water - always! And I take my own cup, which doesn't get used at any other time. It is just my therapy cup!
- Perfume/essential oil - for grounding rather than for comfort. But maybe they are part of the same thing?
- Writing materials for in case my voice gets hijacked and I want to write something down instead. So, I generally have a notebook, some flip chart sheets and felt tips, a mini white board with a marker pen...
The ritual of getting everything out of my bag and setting things up at the start of sessions is part of checking in with myself/the space and getting settled in, which I suppose is me trying to feel safe and at ease and reduce any anxiety too. And then getting everything packed up at the end forces me to have to be in some way present and grounded when I leave, which can be a challenge after a tough session where I've dissociated.
It is a lot of stuff to take - I sometimes feel like I'm moving in, the amount of stuff I unpack when I get there! But I definitely find them helpful.
My t has a jar of stones, I added mine to it so it is always there. I have things in my pocket, usually a stone and some small metal soldiers. No idea where I got them but they go everywhere with me. Also have round button magnets, a car and sometimes a key chain that the centre swirls around if you move it. Right now the rage with people is widgets and I totally want one but they go for thirty bucks.
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