Posted by gardenergirl on August 14, 2004, at 22:19:59
In reply to Boundaries (may trigger), posted by lucy stone on August 14, 2004, at 15:56:52
I think my T is fairly similar to yours. I am not in analysis, but he has shown some analytical bent before. I suppose I could ask about his training, but you know, I never did.
Also, some T's, particularly those that practice with a psychodynamic approach, value what's called the "therapeutic frame". This includes using the same therapy room, same length of sessions, even same day and time if possible, keeping frequency the same, maintaining consistency about "rules" such as phone calls, etc. This way, the therapy is the same on all the external stuff having to do with the therapy itself. It keeps the therapy from being "contaminated" by external stuff. Like meeting in a different room than usual might feel weird. Sometimes allowing another session or going over and sometimes not would be confusing, and the client might wonder what was significant about one time versus another, when maybe it was nothing...Other T's aren't so concerned with this.
> > He would never encourage me to add an extra session, even if I were in great distress.
I have left in great distress, and he looked sympathetic, and sometimes tries to lighten the mood a bit, but he has never suggested another session. I have called him before to ask to move up a session due to a crisis, and he was okay with that. He's always very accomdating with the schedule.
>
> He would never call to check on me, even if I had had a very difficult session or was in obvious distress.We've never talked about this. I have never been suicidal and I guess I've never appeared fragile enough to warrant a call. I wonder what he would do? I suspect he wouldn't call.
> He would never volunteers any personal information about himself.He does do this occasionally. Sometimes it's about his analysis experience, once he told me his dissertation experience. Funny, once I was talking about a new plant I found at a nursery, and it must be a kind he collects, because he totally broke the frame and said abruptly and excitedly "what color flowers does that one have?" When I later gave him the insert, he appeared to have forgotten it. Oh, and he told me he gardens too.
I have also found out a couple of things from other people. I usually don't like to hear this stuff. I suppose it's ingrained in my head that he should be a blank slate. Or perhaps it is a way to protect myself from getting too attached?
>
> He very, very seldom initiates the conversation in a session, he waits for me to start.Yep, never says anything, just nods. If I say hello, he says hello. One time he started with some non-therapy related business (a mix-up where he got a letter that was about my client...talk about weird. But there is the health and counseling center and a psych. center on my campus, and his student has the same first name as I do. And incidentally, is a classmate of mine...small world).
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> He seldom carries thoughts or topics from one session to the next, he waits for me to do that.Nope he doesn't do this either. I think one time when something similar came up he reminded me of how it was similar, but otherwise, they are stand alone sessions.
That's all, I guess.
gg
poster:gardenergirl
thread:377663
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/psycho/20040812/msgs/377783.html