does anyone dream about their Ts?

I do. It's not often, but when I do, it usually has been a nightmare about my fear of being betrayed or hurt or abandoned by my T. Tonight I woke up in a cold sweat from a dream where my T was saying something that scared me about me.

I'm just wondering, does anyone else dream about their T's?

Funny you should post this today. I've dreamed of T twice.
Once some weeks back and tonight.
Tonight, I dreamt that I was in session and she asked me a question... too bad I can't remember, it was an important question... and I gave her an answer and then she handed me a paper with 3 answers on them and it said something like "if you've given one of these answers, you are wrong" and of course, my answer was on there.
That made me incredibly sad and I almost started crying. My T then lectured me on why it was wrong and at the end she looked at me and I didn't know what to say at all so she sighed and said something like "that's not helping either".
Then I remember that she came along to visit me at home and at the end when she met all family members she told me she could no longer work with me, that she was disgusted and would leave and hopefully, I'd understand.

I woke up and was really shocked. I thought that really happened. phew!
Interesting, the first dream was a lot warmer and pleasant.

Did your T say something about you like a diagnosis you or something about your personality? Why do you think you dreamt that? You don't have to answer at all!! I'm just really fascinated about dreams and how things you expect to come up in a dream don't and things you wouldn't expect do.

Do you believe that your unconsciousness tries to tell you something or that you just process stuff in dreams?

frosty, oh that sounds like an awful dream. I am glad the first one was better.

I drempt that I was inivited to something where my T would be. I went before some kind of unexpected audience, and my T was saying something like I was beyond help and everyone knew and she was leaving and would never be around me again. She was saying something about windows and it being too late. (I don't know where the window thing fit in.) She was extremely indifferent and cold. And my other T was nearby standing with her. They said I deserved (a traumatic thing) that happened and it made me too broken and I had gone as far and been helped as far as possible and they were both leaving. Both of my parents were there. My T said, "Your father was right."

The dread and panic I felt in the dream and right when I woke up was tremendous. I have been struggling with feeling like I need my T lately and the feeling that she can't provide whatever it is I need or Z am seeking or want, and dealing with a trauma where I was not just hurt, but betrayed. I have been feeling something... and not knowing what... and I wonder if it just came out in my dream...

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Do you believe that your unconsciousness tries to tell you something or that you just process stuff in dreams?

I think both are possible. I think my very core and most honest thoughts sometimes come up just as I am waking up. If I am trying to ignore something when I am awake, sometimes I dream about it over and over - as if I am trying to process it in my dreams. Sometimes I also think it is just something I ate or something...

I'm glad neither of our dreams were real!

ooooooh, harsh dream Jane!! Yikes, that sounds horrible! I so understand the dread and panic you felt in the dream and how it stayed after you've woken up. Dreams can be cruel!
So you think the indifference you felt from your T in your dream is that feeling you can't really put your finger on in reality?
I hate having a feeling and not knowing what it is.
When you are dealing with the trauma where you were betrayed, maybe you project this onto your T right now because it all comes up and you sort of expect her to betray you as well (which obviously she did big time in your dream).

Something you ate? sounds funny but is probably true. I get very realistic nightmares when I'm cold for example.

I do wonder about the indifference part and if I feel like my T is being that way now. I also know in the trauma we were talking about, we talked about how the perp's body language was agressive while his words were at first indifferent and fake feeling.

I think I am projecting it all onto my T for sure, regardless if she is actually being indifferent or not

dreams are curious.

I had a dream about my old T once and it brought up a fear I didn't know I had. I told the T about the dream, and she totally tok it to mean something else entirely. sigh. it didn't work out so well.

You have realistic dreams when you are cold? brr! That is exhuasting to be cold and in a vivid nightmare. I used to get bad dreams from a medication, but they were no so emotionally bad, just gory. I couldn't watch most anything on TV before bed because it would really come out in my dreams in bad ways.

I rather have those kinds of nightmares than the more emotional real life once. Those are far more intense - and hard to shake off since they seem so real!

dreams are very curious

Jane - your post is so timely for me. I had nightmares last night about my T discontinuing treatment once she found out the "real" me. Sleepless night, for sure. Frustrated me too, as that is a nightmare for me that might end up becoming a reality.

I have, though, had a good dream about this T when I first started. I can not for the life of me remember the dream, I just remember I woke up feeling so safe and loved, that I didn't want to get out of bed so I could hold on to that feeling!

Dreams ARE one of life's mysteries to me - I wish I could somehow find a way to automatically remember all the good ones, and instantly forget the bad ones!

This is timely!!

Last night, I dreamt about T. I often dream about him during long gaps in therapy. In my dream, I was in the waiting room and I fell asleep. He woke me up by calling my name. Then I walked into the "wrong" office. It was a huge mess and there were cigarette butts everywhere. There was a book sitting on the table with the title -- I kid you not -- Feng Shui of Mess. I realized I was in the wrong office, and went and found the right one.

I went into his office and there were other people in there, sitting at desks. Apparently, I was supposed to ignore them. T. was distracted and working on paperwork. (this has NEVER happened! He doesn't even take notes!!) I asked him what my diagnosis was. He said I grew up in a dysfunctional family, but as an adult, I was normal. I started crying in my dream. Then he told me I was free to leave. I didn't need therapy anymore. This would be my last appointment. I woke up totally shook up.

I'm still thinking through what it means. I know I have abandonment issues. The rest, I'll have to think about...

My first dream about T was before I was even in therapy and I think I had met him all of once (because my H was seeing him first). I didn't even realize it was about him until we met again and I was like, "Wow, you're almost exactly the guy that was in my dream." Like, looked exactly the same, except a bit shorter and didn't have his voice down as well as I would now from acquaintance.

It was a dream I was living at my mother's house as an adult (now) and it was messy/trashed as usual with people sleeping in the living room, dining room, etc. That's how it is. My mom is crazy, but she has a good heart and will always make sure to give people a place to stay. Also, she uses people, so keeping them dependent on her for a place to live works really well. Anyway, in my dream T was actually a social worker there for the express purpose of making sure I was OK, getting me "out" of the house. He kept going from room to room and evaluating, taking notes and saying such tender things about how none of us should have to live like that. He was going to have my older sister arrested for growing pot, but I convinced him not to. He said he wouldn't if I promised to leave the house and let him take me somewhere I would be safe. In the dream, I began to realize he was some sort of messenger from God, not just a social worker. Anyway, I didn't realize any of this had to do with T until he asked H for a session with me. He had been recommending I get my own T for a while, to deal with the traumatic incident, but I kept saying no...so I think he asked to see me, knowing I would go in for H's sake. When I saw T (it had been several months since I met him), I was embarrassed and comforted at the same time, like "Oh, that's what THAT dream was about."

I've had a few other dreams about therapy, but they are always abandonment ones. I had several in one night once. In the first one, I was in college and forced into therapy as a "class" because I had made an attempt and they would expel me without therapy. It was the beginning of the new semester, but when I found T (who was just a stranger in this dream), he said, "Oh, they discharged you from having to take this class. They don't want to waste the resources on you." Then, I had one where I couldn't find T's office (also at my old college) and so we had an appointment walking side-by-side and we sat down to talk and he put his arm around me. It felt very safe. Then, I had a horrible dream where my mother decided to see my T (for therapy, not dating) and I knew he would not see me anymore, because he couldn't treat both of us, and also that she would turn him against me and tell him what a horrible daughter I am. The last dream in that sequences was one where I had a female T (never have) and she threatened to abandon me if I did not start attending these group sessions I was having panic attacks about.

I think those are the major ones I've had so far.

Timely for sure!! I was going to start a similar thread today.

I had a dream about my T last night. We were in session and we weren't done yet, but another client showed up. I had just come from some sort of picnic where this boy was there and I thought he was odd, but intriguing. Well, T says she has to let her other client come into the room and we will have to share the session. She told me that I would have to sit there quietly and watch her interact with and hold and cuddle this other client and that it would probably be really painful for me to watch. She asked if I was sure I wanted to, but then didn't let me answer and said, "oh well, let's just do it. You'll get over it." She invited this boy in and it was the boy from the picnic (which made me feel really exposed because he knew me) and then he started to switch. He had an alter (Jane you are going to laugh...) named "stuck Jane" and "stuck Jane" is very angry.

Oh and then later I had a dream that I was with T and for some reason I kept playing with her hair. I thought it was funny because she usually plays with my hair, not the other way around.

STRM --

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Oh and then later I had a dream that I was with T and for some reason I kept playing with her hair.

My boys have all "played with my hair" at different stages...usually around four. I guess from a child development perspective, four year olds often become infatuated with their mother. (My boys all have.) They caress my hair in a very loving way, and it's a way they comfort themselves when they feel insecure or hurt.

They all grew out of it before Kindergarten. Anyway, I just thought I'd put that out there that it's a really normal thing for a child to do with a parent.

Maybe this is a good sign of healthy attachment????

BG, your dream sounds awful! I hate not knowing where to go or not belonging anywhere in my dream. It's so stressful and leaves me with a feeling of agitation long after I've woken up.
Is your T messy?

STRM ~ That did make me laugh! and, get this, in my session yesterday, I kept talking with my T about feeling "stuck." ironic.

it would be weird to see our Ts comfort someone else...

your other dream sounds so sweet

~ jane

Wow, you all have interesting dreams! I go in and out of dreaming, personally. I started dreaming after about a year and half of therapy, and now I go for times, dreaming, and other times, not dream- or at least not remembering them. I think it is weird that I have no significant trauma that I can remember anyway, and that I have have these dreams that I could never even write here they are so horrible.

However, I do dream about my T from time to time. It is usually nice.

the last dream I had was weeks ago. I dreamed that I was on a snow-bound road and had to get out of my car to walk back. I felt in grave danger and prayed for protection...and was lifted in levitation and transported. It was horrifying and I woke up crying out loudly. Fortunately, my h wasn't home. I agree with you Jane...dreams are very strange. Have you shared your dreams with your T? I never have.

BB

I share all T-related dreams with him (in my journals) and also some others that seem related to therapy or what we've been talking about. I usually have quite graphic or disturbing dreams. And I almost always remember them. Last night, I dreamed about being back at my work and facing a horrible ex-boss and being taken advantage of by her.

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Is your T messy?

Not at all. His desk is perfectly clean, with his computer (and the same screensaver), and one file. Mine. Because, like everyone else here, I am my T's only client.