One of the things many of us struggle with is advocating for ourselves in therapy. There's a sense that we are being “bad patients” if we bring up any concerns about therapy with our therapist. Quite the contrary. Therapists are human too. They can and do make mistakes. They rely on us to provide them feedback so that they can help us more effectively.

If you are afraid of doing it in person, ask about sending them an email ahead of your next session. Sometimes it is easier to write things down than to say them out loud. For me I have found that it is in these moments where I am able to express my concern that the greatest growth has occurred in therapy. In therapy talk this is called "rupture and repair" and it is a crucial tool to learn where relationships are concerned.

What tools have you used to bring up hard topics with your therapist?

#Trauma #PTSD #CPTSD #Therapy #ruptureandrepair #Communication