Therapy -- Always helpful

After the last week, we walked into therapy and the therapist asked Dee to rate her week and she said a 10.  I was stunned.  I said a 2.  We found the discrepancy was Dee was only talking this week, not the week since we last went to therapy.  Then she gave herself a zero.  And for the week she was talking about, I gave her a 9.

We continued on our discussion.  Dee explained that since she first came, she thinks she is doing better because:  1) She thinks about the consequences of what she may do or say.  2) She knows when to give herself time away to calm down.

I mentioned my worry about her fighting the details of what I may say.  I said, "Dee may choose to argue one detail in something I say, and I gave an example.  I told the therapist that I was concerned that she was very smart or very not.  Dee said I know the answer.  She said it was a little of both.  But what I am saying to her doesn't always sound the way I say it to her.  We agreed I would have her parrot what I said when she does it.

Dee explained why she didn't want to talk about her birth family.  The therapist told her that it would be easier as time goes on.  I told her I didn't want her to replace real memories with fantasy thoughts. 

Dee shared what we learned about guilt and "actions speak louder than words."

I said that I thought Dee had a meltdown because of something that happen last week in therapy.  The therapist couldn't come up with anything.  Dee finally said, "It can happen when there is too much niceness."  Dee didn't want to talk about difficult things, so the therapist told her they didn't have to.  Although they did, Dee really didn't like the control she thought she seem to have.  That is the thin line I walk with her all of the time.

It was a good session.  Dee was not as focused as she can be.  But as always, she has the best insight to herself.

She mentioned when we came home, she didn't realize her selecting parts of what I said to argue about made me worry about her.  So now we are going to watch for it. 

She really is a smart girl in many ways.  And she has been so pleasant, she is fun to have around.

Her daycare leader has said that the positive reinforcement she initiated seems to have help.  She said when she was learning about it in one of her education classes, she thought, "I bet I can try that with Dee."  I appreciate that she cares that much.

So, we will see how tomorrow goes.  But today was pretty positive.