Counselling appointment: how to articulate my story?

[Poppin_Lot]

Hello there everyone. I am new. For the first time in my life I am seeking help for childhood sexual abuse and adult sexual abuse (alongside physical, emotional and mental abuse). I see a counsellor next week. I never really went deep into my story before. I feel like I might have issues articulating or telling it where it would make sense.

I was thinking about writing my story down in a journal and reading it to my counsellor and talking about any point she wants to discuss with me. This way I won't miss anything and it will be more organised.

Have any of you shared your story through reading it out loud or any other means? Would this be weird? I just feel like the "alright lets talk about it, GO" approach may not work with me.

Let me know everyone. First thread ever by Poppin Lot now posted :)

 

[Abstract]

Welcome.
If you want to try to tell it all right off that is absolutely fine but it isn't at all expected and you can do this in small doses and see how you react after each time. A general overview without details seems like a really good start to me. And maybe some questions to the t about how they work and some conversation about how you would like to work this and your aims. Maybe also a discussion on your present coping and self care skills and the symptoms and effects on your day to day life. What are your thoughts?
Rushing in without enough grounding and skills can be very counter productive.

Are you clear about their training, specialities and the approach they use to therapy? I think it can be wise to know these,

 

[EveHarrington]

A good counselor will stop you from sharing your whole story all at once in order to avoid flooding and opening Pandora’s box.

 

[Mach123]

It works differently for everyone, you'll go at your own pace and it'll come out when you are ready.

 

[Joan]

For me someone has to earn the "right" to hear my story. I am not sure if you have limited # of appts available so feel the need to push through...if not, take your time. Learn if you feel safe with your T or not....sometimes the first one is not the right fit. I would expect the first session it would not be "expected" that you tell your whole story. On a separate note, yes I have definitely used writing to help get things out there...sometimes sending by email, sometimes reading. Use that first session to learn what techniques your T uses, what the process is, do they allow outside communication.

 

[Poppin_Lot]

Thank you for the answers everyone. My appointment was exactly how you all described. It wasn't so bad. I will be going for my second appointment at the end of the month. :)