Psychotherapy advice

@adelheid61. Are you still seeing the therapist you wrote about back in August of 2023? I ask this because I'm wondering if you've talked with your therapist about some of the things you brought up in your recent posts. One of these has to do with your worries. There is a process that is part of hte cognitive-behavior therapy method where one works with a therapist and identifies their worries (thoughts) and emotions (feelings) that go along with the thoughts. You can learn ways to identify some of your worries (thoughts) as rational or irrational. It's those irrational thoughts, once identified, that you figure out ways to cope (your behaviors) along with the help of your therapist.

Like you, I lived with a dog who had separation anxiety. When my dad lived with me and was home during the day my dog did well. Once my dad was no longer there it was very hard on my dog and I had to change my schedule and my life around to accommodate my dog. By then, my dog was quite old and so I figured it was unreasonable to expect behavioral training would change his separation anxiety. He is since on the other side of the Rainbow Bridge and I'd like to think that all I did for him made his final years feel loved and comfortable. It was very difficult to let him when it was time. I share this so that you can treat yourself with compassion as a person who loves your dog so much that you work out ways to accommodate Ms. Xyla. She's very beautiful.

I'm happy to help.

I knew a woman who began nearly every sentence with "I'm so afraid..."

She spent half a century living in a prison of her own making, then resenting all the things she didn't get to do.

What a waste.

Heidi,
I am new here so I am a bit late to this. During the early days of therapy I would start crying five minutes after my session started. One session, we really got into some issues...it was tough. Afterwards, I went to my car and cried for 30 minutes. It was exhausting.

Anyway, I took a brief break. Took a few weeks off. I told my therapist I needed a break. I was making progress, but I need to rest. I came back and picked up right where we left off. If you have rough sessions, but feel productive you may just want to take a break. Let your therapist know. But I urge to keep going.

I saw a comment about therapist quality. Yes, it is important that you have a good relationship with your therapist. If you do not think that is the case, then you may want to change. Not every therapist works well with every patient, same as doctors.

Hope all is well.

This is actually a very good sign that the therapist was able to communicate well enough to guide you to reveal some of the emotions that have been locked up inside of you for so long. I am not an expert, but I have undergone trauma therapy for childhood neglect and it's going to feel emotionally draining as you continue to get to the core of what your body and mind has stored inside of you all of these years. Be patient with yourself and don't take on too much at one time. It took me a year of weekly therapy to help identify not only what had happened to me but how it had affected me my entire life. I recommend a book The Body Keeps Score. Good luck to you and keep going, you have a family that loves you very much < 3