Posted by BirdSong on June 11, 2009, at 23:46:05
In reply to New therapy from PDoc - can anyone explain?, posted by garnet71 on June 11, 2009, at 7:41:40
I am assuming when you say psychotherapy, you are referring to either psychodynamic or psychoanalytic (as opposed to CBT or brief or existential, etc)
I am also assuming your pdoc is doing psychodynamic therapy, because in psychoanalytic the T says little, you lie on a couch and it is classic analysis.
Psychodynamic therapy is a method that deals with the unconscious mind. The T relies on a client's free association, fantasies, dreams, the psychological defenses, and transference to work with the client. By working through these various things, a client frees the unconscious into consciousness and thus can gain insight.
What you felt after is common, because the processing of the unconscious continues long after the therapy session has ended.
This type of therapy is extremely exhausting, both mentally and physically. Personally, I need naps after my therapy because of the drain.Your unconscious mind will also continue to work on it while you sleep and your dreams may reflect this.
Now, as to your "behaviors" in therapy and your communication and feeling vulnerable with your pdoc, I would suggest that the following could have been occurring (1) transference, (2) regression, or (3) suppression.
(2) and (3) are defense mechanisms (unconscious) whereas (1) is a response to something that reminds of you something else (also unconscious).
(4) dissociation is a possibility, however you did not mention forgetting, dizziness, fogginess, or other characteristics of dissociation, which would lead me away from this.Wow, isn't this fun! Trust me, it is the only way to do therapy and if you have a well-trained T you will learn and grow...but it is SO VERY hard and painful.
poster:BirdSong
thread:900453
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/psycho/20090515/msgs/900600.html