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Last few sessions he triggered some really painfull feelings, I felt really hurt and cried a lot. Refusal of a hug, asking me not to text him, not giving me what I want, not touching me when saying "see you next week". I felt like he was taking away some precious things, like that's part of some therapy plan, that we have to proceed this way in order for me to process the loss and move on.

Last time I made him laugh few times, when I was getting back at him for being bad therapist for me.
That made me soooo happy. He laughed, we had kind of light session, no painfull feelings processing, but I felt that he was on his guard, ready to care for me if I needed it at some point. Even if I wasn't so small and vulnerable this time, he was looking out. This felt so great. Even laughing and talking not really important stuff, even talking some sh**t, he was there for me, watching me and noticing if and when I would be going into more vulnerable state. It makes me love him even more after each session. Perhaps I'm testing him again? Will he still be caring if there will be bigger me there, not the little frightened child?

However, interestingly I still don't feel any anger. He says it is somewhere, but I feel none of it. The most angry feelings I ever had for him was only slight annoyance and protest. And that's it.
Do any of you get really angry in therapy? I can't imagine it at the moment.

So anyway, that was my "up" last week. Feeling really safe, although there are some anxious feelings lurking in me, waiting to come out, awaiting their turn...
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Yes Amazon (to your question) but for me the anger arises after session, and it is about him not reacting to me the way the little girl want him to act. She (I) because of the attachment I guess, loves the attention, loves the intimacy, loves the exclusivity of the relationship, and when he is distracted, I feel robbed of one or all of these. She feels rejected and unloved, but because (probably age 8-9) of this- it looks like anger. My T never sees the anger, but because I write him letters- snail mail, he can tell- it comes through in my writing. For me, yes i test- but not aware of it when I do this.
Just today he left me a voice mail saying the real work is done when you can let your negative feelings towards me out and deal with them- he says it would be good for both of us, but the little girl says "no, no, no!" too scary.
I fear the most that if I will get really angry with him I will stop loving him. I don't know how it's supposed to work, being mad, angry, raging and still loving? For me it's kind of one or the other. I have to tell him that. That may be important.
Last time when I was giving out to him slightly I still felt that I loved him. I wasn't angry, I was just ...maybe showing some kind of anger... I don't know.
I had another dream. I dreamt of eagles hunting and killing hares.... hm... I loved watching the eagles in my dream.

About the touches and texts...
He told me I can text him while I will be away and he will reply. I was like, wow!! You are actually going to honour me with replying to my text!! He also said that we can even have a call sometime when he will not be there for my session. I felt really taken care of when he suggested this.
He said that last time when he said about not texting him I started to shake, like I thought I was doing something wrong. He saw it and I love that he sees. Also he didn't take away the "see you next week" touch. He said he is always very conscious of this and that he did touch me as usual when I was leaving, but I didn't feel it. I thought it wasn't there and I was so sad about it. I thought it was part of some plan.
Amazon:

quote:
Originally posted by Amazon:
I fear the most that if I will get really angry with him I will stop loving him. I don't know how it's supposed to work, being mad, angry, raging and still loving? For me it's kind of one or the other. I have to tell him that. That may be important.


I think this is important. I feel that way, too. I was angry at my T a few weeks ago between sessions and when I told her about it she wanted to talk about it. However, I couldn't get angry at her in session because I feel like you do, that if I get angry at her I might stop loving her. I think it's worth telling your T about that and seeing what he thinks. Let us know!

I'm glad that you are feeling more cared for by your T. It makes such a huge difference, doesn't it? I hope things keep going well! Smiler

MTF
Todays session was a torment... for the change... Roll Eyes
He wants me to talk more about my feelings, to talk more, I don't know... I'm struggling with this part. It's more like I am trying to show him my feelings and want him to name and describe them for me...while I should try doing it myself.

So I did an attempt... and I picked one of the worst possible area...
I noticed there was a gift bag, it was hidden but I saw it. It was there, a present... from him... to...
it hurt badly to process, or try to process, talk about my feelings about him... having a present for somebody he loves...
I could not look at him, I think I had my eyes closed for half a session. It was awfull session.

Of course, he praised me for being brave but it was so hard to have this feelings, I could hardly talk about them.
He was pretty much my torturer today. Frowner
Hi DF,
quote:
cant see how sending a christmas card is a boundary crossing!!???!! perhaps someone could enlighten me if they know why I dont get one...


I might have it wrong, but I believe that some psychotherapists (not all) are trained that any kind of gift giving takes the client and the therapist out of the work of therapy, because it's a kind of 'acting out' (performing something in actions) instead of working with figuring out and expressing the significance of feelings through words. Maybe that it could become a kind of replacement-relationship, where you do the comforting actions of friendship, instead of the treatment work of confronting and coming to new understandings of hurts and problematic patterns. Does that make sense?

Sucks, though - a card would be a nice thing!! But how beautiful her words were. Maybe a card would have stopped you from holding them in mind the way you've held those?

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