Hi All, and Happy New Year,

Would having dreams about your therapist constitute transference? I suppose it would. Here's why I ask:

This week, my T asked if we could change the time of day of our appt from 6:30pm to 9:00am. I said fine, but it just meant that I'd have to get up pretty early to get there (he's a ways away from where I live).

The night before our meeting, I woke up with terrible anxiety, and once I finally got back to sleep, I had dreams all night of being late to the appointment, and I even dreamt of talking to him about it.

Yesterday in our session, we talked about it and established that I was actually angry and resentful that he asked me to change times because - basically - I felt he was putting his convenience before our relationship. Well, of course this was the case...this is exactly what I felt. And because I am trying to get from him what I never got from my father, well, I'm just a tad sensitive about it.

He then suggested that the fact that I got anxious about - and dreamt of - me being late instead dreaming that he would be late shows that, once again, I take things and turn them against myself. He said, "what about being pissed at me for changing appointment times and instead of rushing to get here, take your time and get here when you can. After all, I changed the time, you didn't."

Again, it comes down to me turning anger against myself instead of where it should be directed, and not standing up for myself...just like I've done my whole life with my father.

Thoughts?

BTW, thanks for all the wonderful support, everyone. This place has been a really, really valuable resource to me.

Russ