happily, my personal counselor at the time knew the questions to ask, and I recognized the implication of those questions, I chose to answer them as completely and honestly as I could.... they were thought provoking, and many times I left feeling as if I found another catacomb to explore....

I journal. regularly, and though I no longer see the counselor, I am able to play the images and find the answers to the questions....

sometimes I have to wait for awhile... but in the stillness of patience I find what I seek...

so, for me.... counseling was all those things you mentioned.... Challenging, Stimulating, and healing....

and, helped me to recognize the places I needed to do personal work, gave me a greater sense of self, and made me aware of my now.... I still have to work on being present.. and its truly a gift to self when I become aware and present in my now.....

bare

i think i blew my therapist's mind a bit about the poly thing, but she never judged my sexuality or relationships and think she was mildly curious to find out more about the lifestyle. she often helped me see something i didn't see on my own, but mostly it was from her jungian perspective and not challenging from a poly perspective. she was a mild-mannered therapist, so she wasn't very challenging, but tried her best to stimulate contemplation. she was big into dreams, but i only remember a dream every few months or so, and usually they're whoppers!

therapy for me was one brief step in a healing process (lost my insurance, so stopped seeing her), but finding the right therapist to work with for that period of time was helpful for me to continue the work on my own. i often think to myself... "what would Carol say?"