Responses To Your Therapist That You Will Probably Never Say

[Spiderallis]

Is that dollhouse just for young clients, or can I play with it too?

 

[VDWngr1355]

Is that dollhouse just for young clients, or can I play with it too?

When I first started taking my 5 year old daughter to a therapist- she (the therapist) actually pulled blocks out and wanted my daughter and I to play together for a half hour while she watched. I loved it as much as my daughter did!

I wish my therapist would do that for our sessions!

 

[rainy_daze]

T: How are you?
You: I'm fine

I would probably be half telling the truth about being fine in that moment, if there wasn't a clock constantly ticking. Is 10 sessions really what you were told ISH? How much were you paying to be told that ;)? I am joking though, I realise therapy is a process, and I am still in the "how do I, and how can I, verbally express this?" stage, which if it continues much longer the therapy will have finished after waiting around and I will only just be starting :confused:.


M: I really hate the noise of that clock ticking.
T: I have it to keep track of time.
M: It's like torture, you cannot block out that noise of the constant ticking!
(What I wished I had said) :
M: I didn't ask you why you had it. Obviously you have it to tell the time! If you don't get a digital clock I am going to smash my face through that window over there in the hope that the physical pain will drown out that constant ticking.

T: Christmas can be a stressful time of year for people. It can be so difficult.
M: Yeah, but I just told you how much I love Christmas day, and how great it was, and that it is the only day of the year - except my birthday - that makes me purely happy. I told you that I used to hate it about ten years ago, but thankfully that was a short lived phase because I look forward to Christmas day the entire year round... so you clearly didn't listen to a word that I said, and decided that you heard the code word of "Christmas" and you know that it "can be a stressful time of year for people", so you decided the words would just fall out your mouth for no reason. Idiot.

T: So, I will see you in a month.
M: Can I just stay here? The world is frightening out there and I seem to have lost the ability to function. Plus, the place could use a good clean and tidy, I don't mind doing it while I completely ignore all my own tasks I need to get done.

T: How do you look after yourself?
M: I don't.

 

[Hashi]

I wish my therapist would do that for our sessions!

Have you asked? A lot of therapists are happy to work with adults using things like crayons and sand trays. Your therapist might welcome the suggestion.

 

[Hashi]

rainy_daze, I related to each thing you put in your post. I particularly hate it when my therapist talks generically about something (like your Christmas example) and I think, but I've told you I think otherwise.

T: I have it to keep track of time.

Oh my goodness!!!!!! This was:
a) Beyond obvious
b) Not your point.
Maybe she has avoidance issues? ;)

 

[intothelight]

Therapist: Make sure you maintain contact with your friends, talk, socialize, laugh, cry, have fun...etc.

Not going to get that advice as they might be out of a job. :)

 

[rainy_daze]

I particularly hate it when my therapist talks generically about something (like your Christmas example) and I think, but I've told you I think otherwise.

I think I will take a digitial clock in next time and take the battery out of that ticking thing. I also think once your session is over and you've paid Hashi that you should tell your T off for not remembering things you've discussed on your way out ;) that way it won't cost you and will let the T have a wee think about how best to remember important things. Maybe PTSD sufferers should start teaching counsellors how to do that? Hah.

T: You've never used that word before.
M; Yes, but I hinted at it. I hinted to it really hard, I think. Are you sure I haven't said the word abuse to you until now?
T: You still had not used the word, rainy_daze.
(I didn't say the next bit, and I probably never will)
M: Well, I thought I could just hint at things until you got the picture and then I would be cured.

 

[rainy_daze]

"Make sure you maintain contact with your friends

...but not that friend of yours who is a leading pioneer in trauma counselling research; he just fills your head with nonsense about how I charge too much for therapy and have limited experince in this field".

 

[Hashi]

I think I will take a digitial clock in next time and take the battery out of that ticking thing.

Good idea, but you might have to explain to your therapist that a digital clock is for keeping track of time. :p

 

[p-no]

It's like torture, you cannot block out that noise of the constant ticking!

Seriously, ask them if they mind replacing the ticking one by a digital one. The time is the same on both :)
All my therapists have told me that that space and time with them is your space and time. Of course, that doesn't mean that they have to accommodate every single wish of a patient's but this is something minor and why not ask. They can say no.

My therapist once told me (I didn't get why she did then and I don't now, but it comes in handy just now to pass on) that she had a patient come for a first trial session (so the patient saw the room the first time) who said to her that she could not have my therapist as her therapist because of the carpet. She had had such an oriental carpet at home with her parents and it was too much of a reminder for her. And no, my therapist didn't take the carpet out, because she likes it and finds it comfy, and, the other side of the story, I love that carpet and it helps me because we had one when we were living with my dad and that carpet makes me feel at home somewhat (good home).

So, a carpet is a carpet, but that's just a small clock. Why not ask? They can say no.

 

[LaurieJ]

T: You're better.
M: No I'm not . How can I be better? I can't be better? Better ends therapy. (Mostly me just freaking out about the fact that I am indeed better than I was). In reality I agreed with her.

 

[VDWngr1355]

Have you asked? A lot of therapists are happy to work with adults using things like crayons and sand trays. Your therapist might welcome the suggestion.

I haven't asked straight up "can I bring in a legos set to our session?"....but he has told me do whatever I am comfortable with....I have brought in some stuff similar to toys just to keep my hands busy....