Posted by Veracity on April 22, 2006, at 17:46:23
In reply to Outside the office with your T ? (newbie), posted by ElaineM on April 22, 2006, at 15:27:36
Hi Elaine,
Early in my therapy, my therapist suggested we spend one session walking a trail through a park that I used to walk on my own but had been avoiding due to severe anxiety.
We met near the trailhead and then just started walking together. She had me talk about how I was feeling as we walked and how it was for me to do it. I felt safe having her there, even though it was only like the fourth or fifth time we'd ever met and I didn't know her that well. I also liked that we were walking side-by-side and not sitting in an office where she looked at me for an entire hour! It was much easier for me to talk then.
Some people passed us on the trail from time-to-time and I wondered if they knew her, knew she was a therapist, and would then know I was probably in therapy with her. That made me a little uneasy but not too bad. At the end of the walk, we arrived back at the trailhead and just said good-bye and went our separate ways.
At the next therapy session we talked about how the walk was, though I don't remember really what was said. Overall, I think it was a good experience. It was done to help me overcome some anxiety and it was successful. There was a purpose for it.
poster:Veracity
thread:635896
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/psycho/20060422/msgs/635933.html