What to talk about in therapy?

So I have a therapy appointment coming up, and I've been thinking about this for awhile so I thought I would ask everyone here. What do you talk about in therapy? I'm not looking necessarily for specifics, but more in general. Do you just talk about what's been going on in your life since your last visit? Do you focus on events that happened and how you would like to react to them in the future? Do you go over a mood chart/diary card of some sort and just discuss that?

I really enjoy my therapist, but I'm wanting more of a goal directed/focused appointment. I know that I have therapy goals, but I've found that it usually just ends up with me talking about things that are going on in my life, which oftentimes, isn't a lot. I'm not really sure how to refocus my appointments and make them more meaningful/valuable? Basically to get more out of them. While I plan to talk to my therapist about this, I want to prepare in case he throws the question back at me. "What would make these sessions more valuable to you?" I don't know the answer to that question, as I don't think I know what other people do in therapy to know what I'm looking for.

hope that makes sense.

When I was in therapy, mine revolved around any "big events" that happened between the sessions, along with if it triggered anything from my past memories. I also would mention any triggers that I struggle with, and tried to find ways to help cope with them better.

As for making it goal oriented, perhaps come up with ONE thing you must achieve before your next visit, and then have a new goal every week. It would work for me, but how does that sound to you?

the weather

tbh srinks (therapists / psychiatrists etc) are all =ù$* haven't met one that isn't a lier arrogant full of themselfs or trying to shake me down for money
and i give them all benefit of the doubt
2 bad i see true ppl's bs like it was writen on the fourhead
got to love the fact that these ppl have to study 3 or 4 years (clinical psychology batchler in Belgium) and they learn how to diagnose what therapy goes with what diagnosis and how much they need to charge for it
this is ofc NOT how it works
once again i'll annyone with a brain and an ear over what ever call's themselves therapist/shink annyday of the week and twice on sunday
ps they all deserve to get compartmentalized into schizophrenia

I think it depends on the type of therapy. For me, I talked about whatever came to mind as I was having psychoanalytical therapy so the emphasis was on free association.

What type of therapy are you in, Cheze2?

I haven't got bpd so i don't know if what i will say is relevant but i think therapy is therapy and it all pretty much works the same for for us all. If the therapist determines you need a different approach because of your diagnosis they would manage the conversation accordingly.

I really enjoy my therapist, but I'm wanting more of a goal directed/focused appointment. I know that I have therapy goals, but I've found that it usually just ends up with me talking about things that are going on in my life, which oftentimes, isn't a lot. I'm not really sure how to refocus my appointments and make them more meaningful/valuable? Basically to get more out of them.

I had two things generally that i needed to talk about when i was in therapy.
1. What was bothering me - that was always the hardest thing to talk about and sometimes i never really got there or couldn't explore it in any depth, but that is the thing that gives the greatest rewards.
2. What was going on in my life that was problematic.

So there's not much point in talking about a movie you went to see because that's unlikely to have much therapeutic value. On the other hand if you are agoraphobic and you went ot the movie it might be significant to mention it.

They need to know what you are having trouble with so they can help you find a better way to handle such situations.

If you have issues in your past that you haven't raised or which trouble you, you should bring them up.

3. Also its always really good to talk about any problems in your relationship with your therapist but it sounds like you get on well so that's great. Still its always good to raise any concerns even if trivial with your therapist. You are in a relationship and because they are trained to model certain behaviour its managing that relationship that brings about a lot of the healing or changes.

TinyPrancer wrote:What type of therapy are you in, Cheze2?

You know, to be honest I have no idea. I know that we discuss DBT type stuff, but it's not a "true" DBT type of therapy. Probably if I had to guess a mixture of CBT and DBT. I'll have to ask.

fiftysix wrote:They need to know what you are having trouble with so they can help you find a better way to handle such situations.

I think this is probably the issue with why I'm struggling with this question. I think I tend to downplay the issues I'm having, or use avoidance as a coping mechanism. I say, "I'm alive, so that's all that matters." Perhaps I need to start brainstorming a very specific goal, and outline with my therapist how we're going to get me there. What steps I need to take, and what things he will teach me.

Thanks everyone!

I think this is probably the issue with why I'm struggling with this question. I think I tend to downplay the issues I'm having, or use avoidance as a coping mechanism. I say, "I'm alive, so that's all that matters." Perhaps I need to start brainstorming a very specific goal, and outline with my therapist how we're going to get me there. What steps I need to take, and what things he will teach me.

Its not your job to work out a treatment strategy. That's your therapists job. You job is to be open and share the truth. There is simply no point in trying to cover up what's actually going on. How is that going to help you. You need to tell the truth and let the therapist run your therapy. It sounds like you are trying to control it. That maybe something you need to recognise. And to ask why you need to do it. I would bring this whole scenario up with her. Often trying to be too controlling in this way is about trust and fear of intimacy perhaps or fear of getting hurt.

let go the goal thing, that's not your job.