Therapy Takeaways (indieweb carnival february 2025 - affirmations)
(Note: this is part of a series of posts where I publish old drafts. This post was started on 21/2/2024 - exactly a year ago! Coincidentally, it fits into the IndieWeb Carnival theme this month, affirmations)
I've been trying to document my therapy takeaways but I haven't been very good at it. Recently my therapist has suggested I try and persist with talking about my childhood. She sent me a sheet about how belief systems are formed in our childhoods, with some exercises to try.
I've always felt very resistant to this and I've tried to be honest about that with my current therapist. I don't know if this comes from a resistance to criticising my childhood, or a feeling that as I had a comfortable childhood, to try and ascribe responsibility for my current unhappiness onto it feels wrong.
The exercises involve remembering and reconnecting with what you liked as a child, and then trying to re-parent yourself. As I understand it, the aim is to learn to provide what you're looking for in other people yourself. This makes sense for me, as I struggle to communicate my needs to others often, and then it upsets me when I don't get the reassurance I want.
The worksheet came with a list of affirmations I found especially affecting. It surprised me. I remember reading the email on my phone in the sheet after my therapy session and feeling really emotional. I'll share them here, in case they're helpful for someone else.
I’m here for you
You are loveable just as you are
I love you and I am here for you
It’s okay to make mistakes
I’m so proud of you
I’ll keep you safe
It wasn’t your fault
You are good enough, just as you are
I love you no matter what
Its okay to have needs. I love looking after your needs
You can do it
I believe in you
(I no longer see this therapist - I stopped sometime last year, although I've thought about going back. Revisiting this post has been a good reminder of what I learned from our sessions.)