(((NAVYME))))

My T has never offered to do anything like that in session but I did have a T offer her sandbox to me once during the consult. I just wasn't that open to that type of thing at that point and never went back to her.

I have drawn pictures at home for my T and brought them in to him to express things I can't verbalize. I think he really likes them. It helps him to understand me better. I have four kids and have spent a lot of time coloring over the years. When I had my first child and started to color with her, I remembered actually how much I loved coloring as a kid. So, it was easy for me to fall back into it.

It sounds like it could be interesting to do art with T during the session. It could free you up emotionally to talk about things that you can't express now. Others have done art with their T's during session. My T and I worked on a puzzle once together. That was really nice but definitely different.

Liese

I feel the same. My T has worked out that I am really scared and or self conscious about this and said 'we can think about it'.

Mine is about getting me to identify more with my inner parts (not DID parts) and to talk more from the child one. The whole concept scares me. And then I don't know why.

T hasn't asked me to draw - just to speak from that part or talk TO that part. She said you dont even have to say the words out loud. I don't even want to do that.

Thing is - if she asked to draw - I have no idea what is inside to draw - the more I think of the parts of myself - the more the visions go away. So she then says she will try imagery with me. Even doing that makes me feel like an idiot.

This whole concept confuses me and I really hate it and want to run from it.

I can very much relate to feelings you are talking about and although I haven't done it often, I have drawn with my T sitting alongside me.

I did feel ridiculous at first - even deciding what to draw with and which colours to choose seemed very risky, but once I started to just make marks - no great works of art involved! - the bit of me that wants to be heard relaxed a little. I think becoming absorbed in something like that helped me to "be in the moment" more and also recognise that my T is happy to be alongside the little girl in me. Being "seen" is something I really struggle with.

I think it helped that my T draws or does collage or whatever at the same time as me and we don't talk. In fact, taking the pressure off talking altogether really helped.
Did your T explain what it would be like? Mine showed me all the stuff she has and reassured me that she had no expectations about what would happen, it was just a different way of being with me that might help me connect with her more easily.

I think it will take me a while longer to feel more confident about it - but I have been able to ask if I could draw or write whatever i have been struggling to say - the thoughts are all there, I just can't organise them to make sense or find the words or block out the voices telling me that T doesn't want to know what want to say anyway...

I'm glad I took the risk and feeling stupid faded quite quickly once I took a deep breath, saw my T get stuck in and I grabbed the nearest colour... I didn't think I would ever be able to do something like that, but I am going to persevere and ask to do it again if I think I need to (which I probably will...). I think I needed to let go of the fact that whatever I produced had to mean something. I'm more in the process not product phase. My T often reminds me that there is no rush, she will wait for me.

Whatever you decide, I hope you find a way of expressing your little selves that is comfortable for you.

Iris

The previous counsellor, the incompetent one, asked me to draw with crayons, but she did it in such a patronizing way that I just couldn't. I prefer to feel I am in more control of my sessions.

In my current work with the sweet psychologist, he lets me cuddle my bear, I have even twice written him notes from my little feeling me inside, (he is about to get one next Friday too) and I have spent about a year and a half working towards feeling comfortable with the little me in me, that feels so different from my usual self. that took time. It really did. It is still slow and I have to have lots of patience. MY P is not very good at precipitating drawing with crayons or anything like that, but he has been lovely at letting me nudge forward with this on my own and now I am used to being able to descend and allow the littler feeling parts of me emerge in that room. I still feel uncomfortable and embarassed at times though.

Just in my last session T asked if I wanted to draw I have before and it has gone okay - the busting out the crayons stuff doesn't bug me because my inner kid is always around and I draw, color, paint and do other art stuff all the time (Im really visual) one of my Ts told me once I am an extremely playful adult and a lot of adults aren't that playful. I get the same type of comment from others and it's not meant as "childish". Hard to explain but...I think every adult should color and draw and play. It's okay! My T usually asks about drawing when I run out of words... I'm not sure if it is to connect to a part necessarily but the experience can be integrative.