Posted by Pfinstegg on December 21, 2003, at 11:44:33
In reply to Lying on a couch? » Pfinstegg, posted by naiad on December 21, 2003, at 6:42:14
I do lie on the couch, but I got to know him face-to-face for about two months first. He's flexible, so it's fine if I sit up, which I do during real crises. It was very scary starting to do it, but has since become a lot more comfortable. It's actually much easier to free-associate from there, as one doesn't self-censor quite as much.
As to free-associating itself, I think everyone has to learn it, as we all normally continally self-censor in social conversation. You gradually learn to say the fleeting, seemingly irrelevant little things which come into your mind and then keep going with where-ever your thoughts lead you- and they always lead to something you are afraid of, or want to avoid! There are big rewards, though- you really learn how you felt as a child, and you also learn a type of trust in the therapist which we didn't have in our parents.
For me, the couch has turned out to facilitate this benign type of regression; however, from what I have read, people who need to actually see their therapists in order to feel safe can be analyzed while sitting up. The couch can be a help, but isn't essential, and may sometimes be a hindrance.
Pfinstegg
poster:Pfinstegg
thread:291847
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/psycho/20031221/msgs/292114.html