How to talk to your therapist

[Guest Oryx]

Hi all,

I just got myself a therapist, although I'm only going to see her for a couple sessions because I'm going abroad. Went to the first session yesterday, and felt like I had no idea how to communicate with her. I have never had a therapist before. How do you talk to them? When I am unsure of something, especially when talking to someone with authority on it, I tend to talk about the things I can concretely prove/know. There aren't a lot of those in this case. How do I go about this?

Noah

[Guest Donna Jean]

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Well Hon......if you talk to her about things that you already know (2+2=4...etc...) the therapist is going to be able to do little for you....

When you go to a doctor, you tell them how you feel and what hurts...otherwise they can't help, either...

Be honest. Tell the therapist what's on your mind....if you have a hard time while you're there...prepare something to talk about on a piece of paper before hand.....And if you don't feel comfortable reading off the paper...hand it to them to read....that will open the door for conversation...People do that all the time....

Huggs

Dee Jay

[Guest Karen K]

Noah, sweetie, listen to what Donna Jean has said. Be honest. Tell your therapist whats happening in your noggin. How you feel about your life, body etc. and be honest.

For many sessions now, I have written down: occurrences, thoughts, phone conversations and letters I've had with those who know. My thoughts about when and how to tell various people is a very popular topic between my GT and me.

If you don't tell the doc what hurts, he/she can't fix it.

Huggs from me as well,

Laura Jane

[Sally]

Noah,

You have been given good advice, your therapist wants to know what you think and how you feel - most of our condition plays on our emotions rather than the physical.

They cannot just look at you and determine a lot other than what your body language is saying and your not talking about anything that you need to is already telling them that.

It may not be easy for you but you have to open up and tell them what you are feeling in order for them to help you at all.

Love ya,

Sally

[Guest Mia J]

Like everyone has said just be honest with them about your feelings. Think of it as talking to the best friend you can imagine and that this is someone that there is nothing that you can not share or tell. After the first couple of sessions is usually gets easier.

Mia

[Guest Millenniumrequiem]

Yea, my therapist never starts the conversation or anything, I have to pull all that out and choose what to talk about.

Just speak like you would around anyone else. Just be yourself. They can do a lot when you do that.

Works for me, so good luck.

[Guest Oryx]

Thanks, everyone. I guess I just have to be more open about things... It's hard when you feel like the other person has control over what's going to happen in your life.

Noah

[Guest Krisina]

You don't have to do anything you don't want to do. You have control over your life not the therapist. When you open up to them, they will listen, ask you questions how you feel, they will be empathetic ear to listen. They will also help you see things from different angles, viewpoints that you had not thought about. With a therapist you have someone you can talk to and be yourself without worrying about gossip, ridicule or dismissing your feelings.

It's good to be able to have someone to talk to, get all of the stuff pent up in your brain out talking to a therapist, it's therapeutic.

Btw is your therapist a regular therapist or a gender therapist?

Krisina

[Guest Oryx]

She's a gender therapist, so far as I understand (a therapist with lots of experience with transgender people, knowledge about the issues, etc?).

[Guest Krisina]

She's a gender therapist, so far as I understand (a therapist with lots of experience with transgender people, knowledge about the issues, etc?).

Sounds good

Krisina