Posted by Racer on February 27, 2004, at 11:03:43
In reply to Needing Your Therapist/Cycles, posted by DaisyM on February 26, 2004, at 23:43:08
I go through a lot of the "manufacturing crisis" questions in my mind, and that's one of the things I will be bringing up in my first session with my new therapist next week. I've been through similiar cycles with therapy in the past, and haven't really answered that for myself, but a short story I read helped me make a mental picture of how the cycles work.
The story, which is a great story anyway, is The Fullness Of Life, by Edith Wharton. In it, she describes the mind as a house of many rooms, the living room, where people come and go as they list, etc. In her story, there is a locked room, where the soul sits apart, waiting for a knock that may never come, the knock of that kindred soul. It's a beautiful story, and one I reread now and again for the small strength it offers me.
Here's the mini-theory it brought to me: therapy is like a house of many rooms, set up like those old railroad flats. There are corridors running through it, with doors, both locked and unlocked, and the therapeutic process involves opening those doors and deciding which rooms need to be cleaned out. Some of the doors hide really frightening things, some of the rooms only need a light dusting. When you're exhausted by cleaning out a really difficult room, sometimes you need to pick a tidy one to enter next. Sort of like climbing a terraced hillside -- you need great energy to get up the grades, but then you have a little plateau to rest on before you tackle the next stage. Having company on the plateaus is so pleasant, and your therapist seems comfortable and happy to provide that.
Sounds as if your therapist is a very good match for you, and I'm so glad of it.
poster:Racer
thread:318100
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/psycho/20040225/msgs/318217.html