Therapy experiences?

[Mumao]

Hi, I’m starting therapy shortly. My head is so jumbled with issues I’m just looking for some advice as to what to expect?

Should I make a list of issues that I want to discuss? The major one is childhood issues and the fact that the birth if my daughter has triggered unpleasant and unresolved issues. Will I just start there and chat through everything?

I had cbt therapy to start with, I didn't go in with anything prepared but you can do if you want to. In my first session we talked through the different things that I felt were causing my issues. We then created a time line of significant experiences from childhood to the present day. Then added in seemingly less important details.

We worked through the time line but in a hop about way, it wasn't structured to discussing the issues in order so felt like very natural conversation.

Through the sessions I came to understand the main event that was having such an effect on me, was what I had considered to be a minor experience when building my timeline.

I'm sorry my post is so long winded and I hope it makes sense.

Mine wasn't really that structured tbh. We talked about whatever was bothering me most at the time.

I had a similar experience in finding that it was something that I had previously considered very minor, that a lot of my issues stemmed from.

Just say whatever comes into your head. Sometimes that's when it hits you like a smack in the face, when you are talking about something seemingly irrelevant.

Just be prepared for the fact that you will not be comfortable, you probably will cry and if you're anything like me you'll feel seriously weird about that fact that you can still look them in the face and carry on a conversation afterwards.

Honestly, therapy is individual. No one can tell you what to expect. Some CBT sessions are like a class, all worksheets and reasoning things out and challenging your thinking.

Then you'll have one like I did where you have an epic breakdown and they end up sitting on the toilet floor with you. To be fair, therapist was a trouper and was not remotely fazed by any of this. He just settled himself outside the cubical, calmly asked if I wanted some water and offered his hand under the door like it happened every day.