starting to freak....appt on friday.

[The Lone Wolf]

My insomnia seems to really bad tonight. I much as I want to sleep, there's just to much going on in my head.

The past hour all I thought about were what questions they would ask and how I should answer them.

I've been playing the sesion in my head over and over, kind of coaching myself on what to expect. It's an old trick I play sometimes, pretend I was in a session talking to a T.

Think of what they might say, what they might ask.

Fortunetly I havn't foreseen my ultimate nightmare outcome yet (me in a strightjacket). I'm trying to be positive and think this will be good for me.

I know miracles don't happen in one session, and I figure it's going to take more than the free session I get with my job benefits.

I've never been to a therapist more than one session. Not sure how long you should go in between. A week, 2, a month...I've always joked I should be in therapy at least 3 days a week.

I havn't told anyone I'm doing this, I'm not sure how people will react. Over a year ago I disclosed I'd been to counceling before. My mother's instant reaction was "Oh my god, what did I do."

I know they're going to ask me about my family. I'll admit that's one thing I want to work on, I'm not as close I want to be with them. But on the other hand I'm not sure how open I want to be with them.

If I did diclose some things I'm sure they would look at me differently. I feel they would probably look at me as less as a person. As I look at my life I see one dissapointment after another....

think that's all I have to say for now...

 

[roadrunner]

Lone Wolf,

I am so glad you posted this! Why? Because EVERY guy here who has ever entered therapy has felt the same way as you before the first session. I hope others will post here and reassure you that this is the case.

There are a few things that will help you if you bear them in mind. Your T is a pro and will have seen it all before. There is nothing you will be able to say that will be shocking or surprising. Also remember that your T knows that in order to help you there has to be trust on your part. The T will want to move slowly, at a pace you can handle, and will not force you into areas of discussion that are upsetting you. You don't need to worry in advance and play "what if" games with yourself. Just go and be honest.

The basic job of the T is to help you on the path of healing by showing you a way where you will encounter the least pain and renewed trauma. A lot of guys, myself included, look forward to sessions with their T because of the strong relationship that has been built up.

Yes, it's scary, and that's a fact if ever there was one!!!! But you will be fine bro. I'm glad you are taking this step.

Much love,
Larry

 

[Lloydy]

Lone Wolf
the ONLY person you have to worry about is YOU.

Therapists are bound by regulations of confidentiality, so if you do disclose anything about your family then whatever you say stays between you and the therapist ( except for exceptional circumstances where someone is at risk of further harm, and they should always tell the client about having to pass information on to anyone else. But this is not common )

Therapists work in different ways, but most don't ask too many questions, the good ones listen very carefully and lead the client to expand on whatever it is the therapist thinks is important.

The pace and level of disclosure is up to the client, and I believe that's the best way. When we feel comforatable enough to disclose something then we should do so, then get to work on it.

It's not easy, I can remember the blind fear of walking through the door for the first time.
I can also remember the joy coming home and telling my wife that I didn't need to go back again, unless I felt the need to.

It's worth the effort, that much I can vouch for.

Dave

 

[Kid A]

You also don't need to disclose to anyone about your counseling session if it makes you uncomfortable, but I know what you mean about the stigma attached to being in therapy. Personally I think most people that would give somebody grief about recieving therapy probably need some therapy themselves.