Another Therapy Monday
Woke up from a nightmare in the middle of the night completely frozen. I had to re-orient myself and give myself permission to move. It took me a long time to fall back asleep and I feel like when I did I was guarded and didn’t really let myself sleep deeply again.
I used to have the nightmares under control until I started Art Therapy. Now, they are more or less a constant…Sometimes, like last night, worse than others.
Now, it’s another Monday. What should be on the therapy docket for today?
Thursday, the Art Therapist threw me a curve ball. He asked about my relationship with my parents. This is not a topic we have delved into much and I was not prepared for it. It would be helpful if he could give me a two-week heads up on tricky topics….Then I will be prepared. But Thursday, I kind of froze and didn’t know what to say. I stumbled a bit and didn’t say what I wanted to say. And of course, the AT followed up with wanting to know about feelings related to my parents. I think I have finally figured it out…he’s not going to let go of the whole feelings thing.
So what am I gonna do about it? Feelings are complicated and I don’t do them very well. What I need is a crash course in feelings….What they are, how to feel them, what they mean and how to name them. That ought to be easy, right?
Anyway…at least today, I am marginally more prepared for further discussion about my parents. And phenomenally unprepared for more discussion about feelings.
Happy Therapy to me!
i think you’re on to something about learning more about feelings first. I think therapist’s sometimes miss a stage wih some clients and assume they know how to name how they’re feeling and where in their body they are feeling it. I know I never used to be very good at it. Maybe ask if you can start with that, do art around each emotion maybe? You both need to find a mutual language before delving into trauma stuff.
Ugh. Feelings are definitely not easy. I guess it’s good that he’s not dropping the feelings things. We have to learn some day, right?