I think they have a vague idea of where they are going... let's say it's a travel around the world... they know the places you want to go for sure (your for-sure goals) and think of places they might want to show you (goals you sorta express, or other stuff that comes up, etc) and you may want to stop somewhere randomly... you may have to go around 10,000 times and back to the same place 10,000 more... but eventually you'll get to point B - whatever that looks like.
I think Ts plans are related to their methodology, like CBT plans to have you out of there in 2 sessions after you simply start telling yourself happy thoughts (okay, exaggeration, I'm angry at T2 right now). They know the general steps involved... but from what I've heard from my T there is usually progression/regression, there are steps but they will be out of order sometimes, they'll change, the staircase will do a Harry Potter move somewhere else, etc...
I know my T has told me I skipped ahead a chapter... I got part 1 and part 3 but I missed part 2 (my least favorite of the Star Wars ANYWAY so, I have a feeling my own part 2 is going to be *super lame*). But as we work on "part 2" (feelings, ew) we go between part 1 and 3 and 1.7 and large values of 3 such as 3.989892448383 or small values of one 0.00058484.
You're going somewhere... but I think truthfully even Ts have no idea where, or how. At least the type of T I see who is very client focused meaning what comes up runs the show. And if you're like me and go "oooOOooo shiny......" and get distracted all the time or go on tangents or have weird connections to stuff that makes no sense but makes PERFECT SENSE to you (of COURSE a pineapple makes you think of that giraffe and then your neighbor's porch garden growing up and then the smell of wet crayon wrappers).
Just like this post isn't going anywhere....
Same thing!
((((((hug)))))) I'm so sorry you are going through so much right now, there is a plan and it's not all up to you, or all up to her. It's a journey you take together and sorta figure it out as you go. In a very short time I shared some sensitive stuff with my T too... I've shared it probably 10 more times. It's like circling the airport... it takes a really long time to actually process something and you have to take many sweeps and your T knows this, and knows what to do when you land (or crash, or run out of fuel mid-air) etc. My Ts don't question further they wait for it to come up, and I'll bring it up again and if I say I want to look in to this more we can, or if my T is like..... let's not completely break your psyche right now and talk about (insert slightly related thing where I don't feel invalidated here).
I'm not sure if any of this is reassuring. I've been where you are, I've BEGGED my T for the step-by-step guide for at least 1.5yrs. Then I found out there wasn't one... and whenever I am getting ready to make another more emotional pass at my trauma material my defenses kick in....... and I intellectualize and think...... what's the plan (will you keep me safe? can you control this if I lose control?.....)
