• We are a multilingual website again. Read the notice about this.
  • Understand AI use at MyPTSD: all AI use is explained in our AI help page. AI use is by choice here. It exists if you want it, but does nothing unless you choose to use it.

Personal rituals before therapy

  • Post starter Post starter Deleted member 37474
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
Same kind of stuff. Everything like clockwork. The same route in and out, same coffee place, parking lot, walk into the office at about 3 min before my appointment. The way I dress is strange. I present to her differently each week and I'm not totally aware of who is doing that.(dressing for her) I know it's going on though. It's all very ritualistic. The way I sit in the place I sit. You see these repetitive behaviors in Autism. Lining things up and so forth, inability to deviate from routines easily. I've often thought that, that I have more in common with my Autistic kids than I like to admit.
 
I triple check that I have enough money for the bus before I leave. Since I started playing Pokemon Go at the beginning of the month, I have mellowed about what I do on the bus. I stop the bus too early. The bus driver is almost always the same guy, and he drops me off at the corner across the street anyway.

Once I am in there, I use the bathroom. I won't use it after the appointment for some reason. I touch up my lipstick. I sit on the loveseat in front of the window and read whatever book I am currently reading on my Kindle.
 
So I put a calming lotion on all over my body.
I brush my hair, put on a tinted lip balm and I will use a lavender oil on my wrist.
I always have water and a mint.
I sometimes have tea as well.
I do think about what I wear. I want to be comfortable, but look good.
I will even put on make up for her and dress up! Its kinda like a date (but I have none of those feelings for my therapist.)
Sometimes though I actually look like crap and am ok with it.
Like I will wear a hoody, no make up, and doc martin boots (but I wear those all the time.)
I cannot read like a book or magazine at all, but I can read in forums.
I do go to the bathroom and take deep breaths and do yoga stretches.
I love all of her rituals though.
I love how she comes down the stairs and always says, "Hi there." I always notice in detail what she is wearing especially her shoes.
She always adjusts the temperature somehow like opening a window or turning the fire place on.
She often starts therapy with just a look.
I wonder if she has gotten tired of saying, "How are you?"
 
I mix up a warm herbal infusion that has some of my favorite calming blends (either ginger/hops/stinging nettle or ginger/valerian root/red clover, etc.) to sip on before/during/after. I used to fuel with caffeine/sugar/starbucks options, but my nervous system and adrenal glands wreaked havoc as a result, and I eventually learned that's the last thing I need while trying to find some emotional balance and clarity. I also make sure I'm dressed warmly as I tend to get chilled when nervous/excited at times, and take reading material for the waiting room.

I receive talk therapy support from a sexual/domestic abuse shelter that doesn't charge for it, so instead of paying I also take donations for the shelter and/or share some of my home made vegan creations/hula hoops/etc. with them as a way for me to feel like I'm giving something in return for all the help they've given me. That keeps me busy and focused on why I'm going as I painfully remember all the places I used to be when I really could have used their emergency help and such.
 
I have a cup of coffee with cream and then I do some small tasks around here and hop onto the forum until it is time for me to go.

I use the entrance that my car is parked closest to there are two entrances.
I take the elevator to the floor I need and use an I pad to record how I have been doing and hand it back to the receptionist and wait for my therapist to call me from the door and follow her into her office, long hallway with many offices there and sit in the children's chair next to the drawing materials and then I bring out my list of issues I want to discuss and work through. She offers her suggestions and then types the written instructions into the printer and gives them to me and I leave feeling a ton better than I went in.
r
 
I would always be up and ready earlier enough but was always seemed to leave the house late ! Much to the annoyance of my partner.
Talk incessently on the way to the appointment ( anxiety) , have music on in the car . Have my bottle of water , purse , phone and head phones, partner would drive off in the car as she answered the intercom and buzzed me in and i always went to the toilet even if i didnt need to go and washed my hands about 3 times - went in to her room and plonked my self on the big sofa always in the same spot and almost always with a big sigh - placed bottle , purse and phone in almost the same spot.
And begin ........... makes me smile when i look back and think of my ritual. It got me through though ( with help of t of course )
 
What I WANT to do after a session is take my dogs training. Last time I did that against my T’s recommendation it took about 4 hours before I could get a training plan together. In hindsight I should not have driven the hour to my training grounds either. I did give her a hard time for being so annoyingly right at my next session lol

In reality I’ve finally learnt that climbing into bed is the only option.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar posts

U
  • Locked
Under the microscope - what have you noticed about yourself that you didn’t know before therapy?
2
Comments
14
G
  • Locked
Taking benzos before therapy??
Comments
10
J
  • Locked
Self-Harm Before Therapy Sessions?
Comments
2

Donation drives

2026 Donation Goal

Goal
$1,800.00
Earned
$910.00
This donation drive ends in
0 hours, 0 minutes, 0 seconds
  50.6%
Donate

Trending content

Featured content

Latest posts

Back
Top Bottom