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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 13 of 13. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Daisym on June 8, 2006, at 20:16:09
You know how sometimes you say something and it comes out wrong -- but kind of funny?
Today we were talking about my mom (again) and how I'm waiting for my therapist to get mad and tell me to go find the answers myself and not bother him with my feelings, like she did. .
He said, "do you think I'm going to do that?"
I said, "well no, because it isn't your style to have the answers."
He said, "well... .... .... .... sometimes I have the answers..."He sounded kind of hurt and like a little boy. I laughed and said, "I meant, you don't seem to need concrete answers instead of dealing with the feelings." He nodded and we went on.
I bet everyone has done this -- we should write a book, "The lighter side of therapy."
Please share...I need to smile.
Posted by littleone on June 8, 2006, at 21:00:51
In reply to Lighter Side of Therapy, posted by Daisym on June 8, 2006, at 20:16:09
This will sound really dumb. But a little while ago my T was talking about a prison farm he'd gone to and I was just totally gobsmacked.
"Why would they want to grow prisoners?"
Once he straightened that out, he was very quick to point out that he'd gone there as a visitor, not a resident.
Posted by llrrrpp on June 8, 2006, at 21:15:37
In reply to Re: Lighter Side of Therapy » Daisym, posted by littleone on June 8, 2006, at 21:00:51
Sometimes when I'm grumpy with my T, I think that he looks like Hannibal Lecter, ca. Silence of the Lambs. (I never told him this)
Imagine my surprise, when, this week we are talking about how I'm so triggered by movies, and he's telling me about this new movie with Anthony Hopkins. What are the chances?
We both fans of Sir Tony Hopkins.
Posted by Daisym on June 9, 2006, at 0:49:37
In reply to Re: Lighter Side of Therapy » Daisym, posted by littleone on June 8, 2006, at 21:00:51
I must admit that the first thing I thought of was "whoa -- that was a huge thing to tell a client." But yes, as a visitor...uh, huh....
Umm...Gobsmacked? Cool word!
Posted by Daisym on June 9, 2006, at 0:50:58
In reply to Re: Lighter Side of Therapy, posted by llrrrpp on June 8, 2006, at 21:15:37
We had a thread here once about which movie star your therapist most resembled. I guess you could do worse than Sir Tony...but still, I bet it gets eerie too.
Therapy is just a weird, weird world.
Posted by bent on June 9, 2006, at 7:26:11
In reply to Lighter Side of Therapy, posted by Daisym on June 8, 2006, at 20:16:09
Luckily for my T I was in a good mood on this particular day. It was about two weeks after I had foot surgery that changed the way my foot looked. At my session she asked, "How's the foot?" I said it was doing well and I was getting used to the way it looked. I said sort of jokingly, "I am bonding with my new foot." To which my T says, "At least you are bonding with something!"
Jeez....it was funny though. She was totally joking.
Posted by happyflower on June 9, 2006, at 8:15:49
In reply to Re: Lighter Side of Therapy, posted by bent on June 9, 2006, at 7:26:11
Love the stories ! I have one. One day my T and I were talking about his upcoming race. He told me his wife was also running the race too.
Well then I said, Well do you beat your wife?
He looked kinda of strange at me and repeated in a funny way, Do I beat my wife? LOL Well what I meant was do you beat your wife's time in the race, but it did come out kind funny.
Now I know they really pay attention sometimes. LOL
Posted by Poet on June 9, 2006, at 9:22:34
In reply to Lighter Side of Therapy, posted by Daisym on June 8, 2006, at 20:16:09
Hi Daisy,
I don't remember how this conversation started, but T said in jest *maybe you should see a therapist.* I said, *know any good ones?* She said *no.*
Yesterday I threw a pillow at her and she didn't even say THAT word. I just felt like throwing a pillow at her. ;-)
Poet
Posted by Dinah on June 9, 2006, at 12:53:52
In reply to Lighter Side of Therapy, posted by Daisym on June 8, 2006, at 20:16:09
Too many to recall in specifics.
I don't think I could tolerate therapy that didn't have a fair number of very light moments.
Posted by Dinah on June 9, 2006, at 12:55:53
In reply to Re: Lighter Side of Therapy » Daisym, posted by Dinah on June 9, 2006, at 12:53:52
Although I guess the time that comes most easily to mind could have easily turned ugly, but my therapist laughed so hard I doubt he was really offended.
I had given him a post to read, and it happened to be the post where I said that both my rational and emotional sides saw him as a boob, but in different meanings of the word.
I don't know if that was a Freudian "slip" not editing that out or not...
Posted by 10derHeart on June 9, 2006, at 18:51:25
In reply to Lighter Side of Therapy, posted by Daisym on June 8, 2006, at 20:16:09
I love your description, Daisy. I can imagine that little boy face, even without knowing what he looks like :-) A lot of men do have *that look* at times, I think.
I know I must have more and better stories, but I can only recall the one I posted nearly 18 months ago that happened in the 2nd session with my T. It's more in the strange and embarrassing category than it is lighthearted. It was when he'd been ill and was still coughing a lot. I think I was making small talk (after all, it *was* only the 2nd time) while he got his breath back after a coughing episode, and trying to be polite and caring. I said I hated getting coughs like that, because it can get so violent sometimes it actually hurts your back muscles. Or something similar to that.
So, this nearly complete stranger, who looks like someone's kindly grandpa (and he is) looks at me and says, "Well, I'd tell you where it hurts *me* when I cough, but it'd be too embarrassing."
TMI!!?? To this day, I wonder what on earth that meant. And now that we are very comfortable with each other and he's shared tidbits of medical stuff about himself I didn't really even *want* to know, I often am tempted to ask.
Ha - if I did, he'd probably first try to flip back (a year and a half) through his copius notes, trying to find where he'd said that, all the while pretending not to know what I was talking about.....
I just can't put him on the spot like that. but I still think of it and wonder....
Posted by javableue on June 9, 2006, at 22:02:20
In reply to Lighter Side of Therapy, posted by Daisym on June 8, 2006, at 20:16:09
I'm sure there are others I can't remember right now, but an example from just today...
My therapist is a child psychiatrist, and so usually has all manner of toys on the table from previous sessions. He also has a tendency to fidget. A lot. Last week's session was particularly bad. He alternated between fidgeting with some finger puppets and the metal blinds on the window. The effect of this was to make me really uncomfortable. I had to write him an e-mail over the weekend to confirm an appointment time, and added a postscript: "No puppets (or blinds) for you!"
I come in this afternoon, and what do I see? One of the finger puppets dangling from the cord of the blinds. (Unfortunately by the trunk and not the neck, which really would have been something.) He swore up and down that someone else put it there. I'm not so sure. :)
jb
Posted by annierose on June 11, 2006, at 20:58:32
In reply to Re: Lighter Side of Therapy, posted by javableue on June 9, 2006, at 22:02:20
I've enjoyed reading the stories and wished I could remember my lighter therapy moments.
All that popped into my head was more of a classic "foot in mouth" comment.
The session prior to our Easter vacations, when I discovered she was going to the same town as I, she asked what hotel I was staying at. Without even thinking I said, "Starlight [not real name]. We've been to several resorts in the area and that's really the best one." After I said that I realized it implied that her hotel would be inferior, and I didn't mean it as strongly as I said it, my brain was still in shock over the possibility of seeing her outside her 4 office walls.
I decided not to apologize and just let the comment go.
This is the end of the thread.
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