Posted by fallsfall on April 23, 2003, at 12:10:14
In reply to Re: Forever therapy- fallsfall, posted by judy1 on April 21, 2003, at 13:59:42
I looked for Dinah's book in 2 libraries and 2 bookstores, but didn't find it. Maybe I'll get it online.
I saw my therapist yesterday. We seemed to make some progress in her understanding of the issues I see in the relationship. I still don't know if I'm not being clear or if she's not hearing. I think we each have significant assumptions about the other, and that those things may no longer be true.
I told her that I was willing to work on the dependency issue, but that cutting back to every other week didn't seem like the best solution. I made a counterproposal: We would identify the needs that I have that she is meeting (or that I want her to meet) and then we will identify other ways of meeting those needs. Then I can transfer needs slowly and hopefully less traumatically. She said that this plan would be OK. Next week I'm supposed to bring a list of needs.
I had given her journalling telling her how she could word it when she kicked me out, so I would be able to handle it. Basically, she would need to say that _she_ needed to terminate. Since I'll do anything for her, I would do that, too. She didn't bring anything up in the session about that. This week I gave her a summary of where I am (since we are communicating so poorly, I wanted to put it all in one place). This ended with a paragraph about all the things I have learned. But she isn't ready to force termination (she is concerned that "she isn't helping me") yet.
So things are marginally better (though it took 24 hours for me to be able to post this). It is nice to know that I have the group therapist in reserve - either for a single session of advice, or for long term.
Thank you all for your support. It really helps.
poster:fallsfall
thread:220332
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/psycho/20030407/msgs/221749.html