Thanks to all of you -- 54 so far -- who have responded to the little survey I linked to here. If you haven't responded and would like to, please do so as it is still open. Here are the results so far:
1. I am keeping secrets from my therapist that I wish I could talk about.
a. Yes, that's me -- 42.6%
b. Yes, but I don't want to tell him/her. -- 18.5%
c. No, I tell everything -- 13%
d. Not now, but I used to keep secrets -- 25.9%
2. I think some things don't need to be talked about with my therapist.
a. Yes, I am not in therapy to tell all -- 24%
b. Yes, because I a not sure I trust my therapist -- 8 %
c. I'm not sure because it may just be that
I am afraid of what the reaction will be -- 68%
if I talk about my secrets.
3. I know that revealing my secret to my therapist would help but I don't know how to begin.
a. Yes, that's me --- 47.8%
b. Yes, and I am afraid my therapist
will judge me if I try. 32.6%
c. No, because I don't believe my
therapist would understand and so it -- 6.5%
could harm me to reveal my secret.
d. No, because I don't believe my
secret has any bearing on the -- 13.0%
reasons I am in therapy.
I'll be writing about how to begin to tell secrets withheld in therapy and how to approach the fear of being judged in the next week. Post your ideas in the comments and we'll see where the discussion goes.