Thoughts on Therapy

Thank you guys...for making me feel normal! Your comments humbled me and normalized my feelings about this land called grown up.

Last week I shared a snippet from Mary Pipher's memoir, Seeking Peace: Chronicles of the Worst Buddhist in the World that compelled me to grab my highlighter.

This week and from here on out- Thursdays will be “Thoughts on Therapy.” I’ll post insights about my personal work as a therapist, the field and what I personally, find therapeutic.

For the majority of my time here on this blog, I haven't discussed much about my work as a therapist but in the last few days the thought occurred to me that maybe I should.

I invite you to participate on Thursdays by posting any thoughts, questions or comments you have about therapy in general, the process or anything you’ve always wanted to know but for whatever reason never asked. You name it and I’ll do my best to answer it. This is a chance for you to get the inside scoop about what is otherwise for many an enigmatic process.

Without further ado, please give a warm welcome to our first Therapeutic Thursday.

(Applause, applause!)

This week-I’d like to share two things I find therapeutic:

· D Dr. Bernie Seigel’s morning and evening meditations. You can download them at ITunes or click on his name for a link to find out more. On those days when The Bird says to me, “Steph, meditate or medicate”- I pick meditation. When my mother was undergoing radiation treatment for brain cancer, I would pack some of Dr. Seigel’s other meditations to take with us. Listening to his hypnotic voice comforts me. I highly recommend these meditations to family, friends, clients and now you guys.

Ti Time out for the old doggie belly rub.

o Bianca is needy and codependent- and the only reason she gets away with that is because she is four-legged and furry.

Boy do I need to take a page out of her book. She has no problem asking for what she wants, which more often than not is a belly rub. With no real concept of time, if she asked for one ten minutes ago and she wants another one ten minutes later-she just rolls over, paws in the air. I used to get annoyed because I felt badly that I couldn’t take the time for her. But now I interpret her requests as an opportunity for me to take my own timeout. Call me crazy but I think she senses when I need the break. Now, I get right down on the floor and have at it. I feel her soft fur; I bury my face in her belly and squeeze her really tightly. Which releases oxytocin-the cuddle hormone and makes me feel instantly relaxed.

This concludes Thoughts on Therapy.

What do you find therapeutic? Or-what is that burning question you’ve always wanted to ask about therapy, the process, therapists, anything. Fire away guys and I’ll answer.