What Happens At Therapy When Time Is Out?

[cypher]

Do you ever see your T and talking about something but theres really no close to it when you have to go? Like we'll start on this next week but the week goes by and all is forgoten, or it's something I think I could use help with that specific week but time is gone, so your kinda lost. I don't know if this makes sense but thought I'de try. Has this happened to you? What do you do?

 

[Awakening]

Yes! Like almost every friggin time. Thanks for saying it.

 

[spiritofnow]

I guess you could ask your T to let you know how much time is left in the session before you are ready to leave. My T always finishes about 15-20 mins before time is up and asks me if I want to do any relaxation. We always do this and I don't feel like I have been left up in the air. My T also asked me what specific parts of my life I felt I wanted to work on, rather like a time line. She asks where I want to start for next week so that every area is explored. Perhaps you could ask your T for a more outlined structure for your sessions so that you know where you are and do not end up feeling like you have been in your sessions.

Please tell your T what you have expressed on here. They should be allowing you to feel in control of your therapy.

Spirit x

 

[2quilt]

This happens every week. i dont wear a watch, so I end up sobbing about something right on the hour, and then have to leave the room and face others with a wet, red face. Then I have to drive the car.

 

[Bulldog36]

cypher I know exactly how you feel ! This has been happening to me more recently, after the first time my T told me time was up I was very frustrated . I talked out the end of how I was feeling with a loved one, it helped just to get out my thoughts and feelings. I keep better time now so I dont get in the position and try to get out anything major at the beggining of the session,an hour can be such a short amount of time.

 

[BloomInWinter]

Nothing like our grand ol' US healthcare HMOs deciding how long & how many sessions we need.

If healthcare reform gets overturned, My HMO says no more for me...I'm already over the number they would allow before reform passed.

Yup, sure got a great system here...

 

[KP the nut]

I guess you could ask your T to let you know how much time is left in the session before you are ready to leave. My T always finishes about 15-20 mins before time is up and asks me if I want to do any relaxation. We always do this and I don't feel like I have been left up in the air.

My sessions are 90 minutes. I have EMDR. T always ends the session after 60 - 70 minutes and we do relaxation and grounding exercises. I think it helps if time can be spent grounding. Maybe suggest it or even set your phone to bleep 15 minutes before the end.

 

[BloomInWinter]

My sessions are 50 minutes, though I've gone over and I always feel terribly guilty for that.

The hospital charges call that 'an hour' still. ...and my poor T. has back-to-back people so if I run over, I am hurting the next person. :<

Yeah, U.S. doesn't have ANY problems with 'rationing' now... (*SNARK*)

 

[kers]

Well, the 50 minute hour is pretty standard. The idea being, your therapist spends 50 minutes of your hour talking to you, and ten minutes tending to other aspects of your care (summary notes, treatment plan, billing, insurance, etc.). I know that my therapist also spends some of those ten minutes before my session reviewing his notes on me so our last few sessions are fresh in his mind and we can dive right in.

As for endings, my therapist directs the conversation toward a summary statement that includes what we discussed and where it might take us in the next week. If I'm upset, he starts winding down ten minutes before the end of the session and will usually tell me so I can begin pulling myself together.

 

[BloomInWinter]

Thanks, kers...good to have more info.

 

[Heather]

My therapist does this too. He never starts on time. He never ends on time. If we're talking about something upsetting and I've been crying, he never leaves anytime at the end "to put me back together" and I walk out feeling like a total raw mess.

 

[anthony]

All I know, is that when I get to setting up my own practice, it won't be like that at all... and I will run 90 minute sessions.