In my session with my counselor yesterday I noticed that he and I keep going back to this one point. I don't feel like he knows everything there is to know about me. And somehow he is missing important information that might help solve my issues...

I can't seem to get this across to him...

But more to the point, I have thought about this, and would like to know what everyone thinks:



I feel like there is a distinct difference between the me in therapy and the me in the real world. I find myself able and willing to speak more about myself and articulate things pretty well. In the real world I do really awful at that sort of thing. I feel like I am an animal in an experiment and that My therapist observes me in "the lab" (our sessions) but has never seen me "in the wild" (out in the world). Thus, he only really knows me in this one context. What if he were to observe me "in the wild"? Would he see me differently?



What do you think about this? How much can a therapist do for a person? How much should he/she do? I guess I have troubles sorting out the purpose of therapy and what it is supposed to do. (I am a detail-oriented person with a distinct interest in the big picture, but an inability to see the forest for the trees)

I never had much luck finding the "right" therapist so i gave up. The last therapist i had was having crises of his own and couldn't help me. i have had several "pill of the month" type docs. Sorry i am not more help. Maybe you need a different therapist?
Being in the lab is definitely a different world than the one we live in everyday.

My therapist who I've been seeing off and on over the past several years knows quite a lot about me, but just can't get everything. There was a time that I was just so frustrated by this, and like you wondered how helpful it was. Personally when I am in the darkest throws of depression it really helps to check in with someone who knows my background, and can motivate me, as well as cry "bullsh!t" when needed. Also it helps greatly to tell my struggles out loud in a supportive environment. I've had periods/ long periods where I have taken a break from therapy, and it has helped to get space at times. I've found that therapy unfortunately does not cure my depression...but it is an important tool to deal with it. I'm going to echo the others by asking, could it be that maybe you and your therapist are not a match? Really I have never had a long term therapist until my current one because I've never connected with any. I hope that you are well, and again very good analogy there.