TRANSCRIPT OF AUDIO FILE:

BEGIN TRANSCRIPT:

THERAPIST: We'll record this.

CLIENT: All right. (chuckling) So I do just feel like that's been one thing that I do think is a rule that I made for myself...

THERAPIST: That doesn't really work.

CLIENT: Yea. Or just like maybe it does work. I adhere to it too well. And I'm realizing maybe I should be better about...

THERAPIST: What would be... so what would be the... if you allowed more flexibility with that rule, what would be the possible negatives?

CLIENT: I think it would be then I wouldn't get as much work done. And then it would be like that feeling of, oh, I hope I'm not going to have to do this some night after he goes to bed when I just want to relax and hang out with Todd (sp?). Or over the weekend when I just want us all to be together and I don't want to have to be away from Trae (sp?) doing work.

THERAPIST: So I wonder how much room there is? Is there some time that you can take for yourself or to do something else and not have it eat into... not have your work eat into other time when you could be like, right, like having alone time with your husband or...

CLIENT: Yea.

THERAPIST: ...having play time as a family. [00:01:10]

CLIENT: Right. I think so. And it's hard to judge right now. Like I'm not... I have the daycare for him three days and then my mom hopefully will be able to do Tuesdays for us but probably just not regularly. But for most weeks, I bet I will have four days. So I think that should be fine but right now I feel like I'm not sure.

THERAPIST: Right now is a really hard time to juggle it because you're starting this new phase that you don't know. When you were in classes you had idea already.

CLIENT: Yea. But I do feel like because this will be time like when I'm just holed up reading and writing, it would be good for me to get out.

THERAPIST: Absolutely.

CLIENT: And I can get some fresh air or something.

THERAPIST: Yea. That's a... so that's this sort of like how you... what expectation you set for yourself for how much time, right? Because it's not like writing a paper or getting the assignment done where you know there's a stop point. [00:02:02]

CLIENT: Yea.

THERAPIST: When you're doing this part of your work, how many articles you expect to read yourself in a day or how much data analysis you get done. It's such a hard thing to judge.

CLIENT: Yea.

THERAPIST: And so it seems almost trying to figure out what is your balance going to be? How much time do you need to feel kind of healthy or balanced or fulfilled whatever word works for you to meet with a friend, to talk over... whether that's meeting with a friend to talk over work or meeting with a friend to talk about the latest episode of whatever.

CLIENT: Right.

THERAPIST: Or just to check in with one another versus how much time you can really spend alone in a room with your data.

CLIENT: Right, yea, yea. And I guess I'll just kind of see how that goes. But I think... and Todd (sp?) has been through this process too. Because I was talking with him and saying, "I need to figure out a rule that I can practice with and bend a little," and telling him that this was an idea that I had of just figuring out. [00:03:04] I was looking at the gym has a Zumba class.

THERAPIST: OK.

CLIENT: And so maybe once a week I can go do that or something like that. And he was saying that he experienced too that when he was in this analyzing writing phase too it helped him to kind of get out and do something in the middle of the day, too.

THERAPIST: Yea. So you might want to try that out and see what it feels like.

CLIENT: But it's almost like... I almost... like I didn't feel nervous but I felt like a twinge of nervousness for today. And I think it was because now like if I... I feel like if I propose this idea, I should probably follow it through. I want to do it. That would be good to...

THERAPIST: Good. That's one of your rules.

CLIENT: Right. I know. That's true. But I do feel like it would be good for me to go try a Zumba class. But then it's also like...

THERAPIST: So what's the nervous part?

CLIENT: That I'll actually do it. I feel like I've had these thoughts before. It would be great for me to go do a class in the middle of the day. [00:04:03]

THERAPIST: So what would be worrisome about actually doing it? I wonder, what's the worry?

CLIENT: Yea, I think it is just like using up time and not getting as much done. Because I have like a deadline of June... of September 30 is when my full draft is due to my whole committee. So I'm hoping to get a draft to my advisor the very beginning of September or the end of August. So he can read it and then I can make revisions and then I send it out to my whole committee. So there kind of are deadlines imposed already.

THERAPIST: Right.

CLIENT: So I think that's what it is. It's like I don't want to get myself caught.

THERAPIST: They're pretty far out though.

CLIENT: Yea. I know.

THERAPIST: They're... so in thinking about giving yourself some flexibility kind of figuring out when do you need to kind of check in on yourself there may be weeks when you use time to go to Zumba, use time to meet with a friend. And there may be weeks where you can't do that.

CLIENT: Right.

THERAPIST: And meet your goals. And so I think the idea of letting your rules be a little bit flexible so they don't... it doesn't mean that all daycare time is always work time. [00:05:07]

CLIENT: Right.

THERAPIST: Some weeks it might be all work time and some weeks it might not.

CLIENT: Yea.

THERAPIST: It's interesting because the rules in themselves are not bad. It's when they feel too rigid and they can't change in order to meet changing expectations or changing your external world. Letting your internal rules flex with them...

CLIENT: Yea.

THERAPIST: ...with how other things change.

CLIENT: Right, right. Like I... it's not like if I decided I wanted to try Zumba, I had to go every week.

THERAPIST: Right, exactly. You can let yourself figure out which weeks it makes sense and which weeks it doesn't make as much sense for you.

CLIENT: Yea. I know. I think that would be a good way to think of it, too. But I do think... and that's like something I've wanted to try. I've never done it before. [00:06:00] My friends have done it. My mom has done it.

THERAPIST: What's stopped you?

CLIENT: Just finding the time. I didn't even get a gym membership last school year just because I figured I wouldn't use it. But I did look into it and there are like a... there's a summer membership that you could get. So I could try it and see.

THERAPIST: Yea, it sounds like a good opportunity to try something you've been thinking about and try out what it's like to see if you can allow your rule to change depending on the situation.

CLIENT: Yea. And it's funny because it doesn't seem like that big of a deal. But I've even had like a dream that I... and it was like this fuzzy, weird dream. But I think you had suggested in my dream that I go on this camping trip. And I was like, oh, that would be a great thing for me to try. And on my way to the camping trip, I realized that I didn't pick up Trae (sp?). And I freaked out because I was the one getting him but I couldn't get him that day or something. [00:07:00]

And I didn't even think anything of it in the morning. And then as I thought about it later, I was like I bet that was kind of signaling to me that I'm like nervous about this idea of like using time. And like talking about it, it's not like, oh my gosh, I can't go to Zumba. I'm so worried about this. I don't feel like it's like this huge thing weighing over me. But I thought that was funny. It is in the back of my mind of like not feeling totally comfortable with this idea of...

THERAPIST: That doing something different would mean that you're losing out on something else if you change your current strategy or change your typical routine that you're going to miss out on either time with Trae (sp?) or something.

CLIENT: Yea.

THERAPIST: Because that sounds like that is what motivates you. That motivates you to use your time away from him and Todd (sp?) also during the work day. It's afraid of missing out on something with them later.

CLIENT: Right. Yea, which in a way I feel like some of it's good because it has made me even more efficient. When I have the time, I just want to get things done. [00:08:01] But I do think it's swung the other way too.

THERAPIST: At the expense of something else, yea. And I think... and that's probably true with most weeks. That there is obviously an importance and there's... you put them in place because they made sense and were good for you at a time.

CLIENT: Right.

THERAPIST: And the only problem is when the get too rigid or when you're extending a rule that used to make a lot of sense for your former life maybe but doesn't necessarily make as much sense now.

CLIENT: Right.

THERAPIST: And feeling like you need to stick to the rule rather than stick to figuring out what actually works for best for everybody right now.

CLIENT: Yea. So I think thinking of this as not a rule that I'm going to Zumba either but...

THERAPIST: Right.

CLIENT: ...just try it.

THERAPIST: It doesn't... you don't have to swing in the opposite direction to make another really rigid rule.

CLIENT: Right.

THERAPIST: That the new rule is... what would we name the new rule?

CLIENT: Well, I think it's the idea... like that it is OK to just do something for myself. That's when I think during that time I don't like to do that. [00:09:00] I wanted to just use that time for work time so that I'm not taking away time from Trae (sp?). So I think it is loosening up to let myself to have some time.

THERAPIST: I... if like thinking about it in a visuals help kind of thinking about the pie chart. Like what is in there. So clearly it sounds like there's time with Trae (sp?) in there. There's getting work done.

CLIENT: Yea.

THERAPIST: There's having some time alone with Todd (sp?) at night.

CLIENT: Yea.

THERAPIST: How much of the space is there for Rachel (sp?)?

CLIENT: Yea. I mean, I don't... not a lot at all. And once in a while I'll meet up with a friend or something that... and we have... but a lot of times it's with Trae (sp?). We meet up with friends all the time when I'm home with him and we've got friends in the neighborhood that we'll meet up with. But yea, total like... without Trae (sp?) or without Todd (sp?), I feel like I don't have a lot of that. But I also don't know how much of that I really want either. [00:10:00]

THERAPIST: Well, so do you... how would you know you had enough?

CLIENT: Yea, I don't know. But I think it would be just like not feeling... like when I do have those moments of like, oh, I just want to get my hair cut and I don't have time for that. Or silly things that you just do for yourself that you don't have time to do. Maybe not feeling that.

THERAPIST: Right, right. Not feeling like there is no time to do them. And also maybe not feeling like they're silly.

CLIENT: Yea, right.

THERAPIST: Would you die if didn't get a haircut? Probably not.

CLIENT: Right.

THERAPIST: Will you feel better...

CLIENT: Right.

THERAPIST: ...if you could... if you had time to do things like that?

CLIENT: Yea.

THERAPIST: It sounds like yea. There are times when you felt kind of stressed by the fact that you felt... feeling like you have something you want to do and not able to do it.

CLIENT: Yea.

THERAPIST: So that's self-care. It's not that silly. That's actually fairly important.

CLIENT: Yea.

THERAPIST: And so having enough space to be devoted to stuff like that overall. [00:11:02] Maybe not every day, maybe not every week but overall feeling like there's enough space there to do things. Like meet up with a friend without also being responsible for making sure that Trae (sp?) is OK.

CLIENT: Yea.

THERAPIST: Because there is that difference of being responsible to somebody else.

CLIENT: Right.

THERAPIST: And soon they get older and understand everything you say. The conversations are geared so much differently when there's grownups there and kids there.

CLIENT: Who can really listen and yea, pick up on what you're saying. Yea. But Todd (sp?) and I have talked about that because once in a while he'll meet up with his guy friends for a drink or something after Trae (sp?) is asleep. And we said, like it's funny that when I meet up with my girlfriends, it's always with the babies.

THERAPIST: Right.

CLIENT: And even sometimes like when we meet with my best friend Stephanie (sp?) who's down in Duxbury, we'll go down and then Todd (sp?) and her husband, Ethan (sp?) will go play golf or something and we'll be able...

THERAPIST: Stay home with the kids.

CLIENT: Which is great. That's... it's... we love having our babies play together and we have fun. [00:12:01] But it is funny that it's like a lot of my friend time and seeing my friends is with our kids which is fun but it just like...

THERAPIST: But it's not everything.

CLIENT: Totally girl time to just... yea.

THERAPIST: And so having a little bit of that is maybe also... maybe you're missing out on a little bit of that.

CLIENT: Yea.

THERAPIST: And maybe you don't necessarily want a ton of it. But it sounds like having some of it sometimes.

CLIENT: Yea.

THERAPIST: Have you noticed... is it... so I mean, clearly there's a difference in having or not having Trae (sp?). But a shift in your relationship with Todd (sp?) because that sounds like a very typical gender divide. And I'm not sure if that's how it felt before you had Trae (sp?).

CLIENT: Yea. But I think he's so helpful and with so many things that I feel like stereotypically would be like the woman would be doing in the relationship that he's so helpful with that. That's kind of one of the few things that I actually do notice because I do feel like that is like a very stereotypical thing. But otherwise I think we've gotten into...

THERAPIST: And part of it might be up until fairly recently you were breastfeeding. [00:13:09]

CLIENT: Yea. I just went off of that.

THERAPIST: So if you went off to go play 18 holes of golf, it requires a little bit more planning.

CLIENT: Exactly.

THERAPIST: (inaudible at 00:13:16).

CLIENT: Yea. But I think it also helped. Like the other way that I think Todd (sp?) always wanted to feel really useful when I was nursing Trae (sp?). So he would do the laundry or he would be doing the dishes or something. So he's so helpful with all of that that I don't really feel like that we go along those divides and a lot of things and sometimes too helpful like that. I think we've talked about that, too.

THERAPIST: Yea, you felt guilty almost not...

CLIENT: Yea. I feel like he sometimes tries to do everything. But I think that that has gotten a little better. You just don't realize how much time goes into breastfeeding. And now that... and pumping too. And now that a lot of that has gone, it feels better. Yea. [00:14:02]

THERAPIST: I'm glad you're settling into it sounds like a more comfortable pattern.

CLIENT: Yea.

THERAPIST: Sometimes just sort of massaging a little bit to see if you can find a little bit more flexibility for yourself either with him or using daycare time doesn't necessarily all need to be hard core work.

CLIENT: Right, yea. And I even... there was one of our... one mom who I got to know who also sends her kid to the same daycare. And she came the other day in her workout clothes. I could tell she had come from the gym and I was like, I should be doing that. So I think that is...

THERAPIST: I could.

CLIENT: Or I could, yea, yea. But that would be my time to do something like that. And I think that's what gave me the idea of just try... if I wanted to try that out.

THERAPIST: Yea. So your... the time you have in daycare can be time to do things for yourself or things for work.

CLIENT: Yea.

THERAPIST: Yea, it'd be interesting to see how you can arrange it. [00:15:02]

CLIENT: Yea.

THERAPIST: And just even start to notice if you have other rules set up for yourself that don't work all the time or create some kind of distress rather than being helpful. Rules would be great if they're actually really helpful.

CLIENT: Right.

THERAPIST: Rather than feeling like they're restricting you or impeding upon something.

CLIENT: Yea. Yea, because I feel like I've also experienced that where they go too far. Like when I would have to read before bed. That became like...

THERAPIST: It became a rule, right.

CLIENT: ...too restrictive of a rule.

THERAPIST: Where it got developed to be something that was helpful like a habit perhaps. And then became a rule that couldn't be broken.

CLIENT: Yea.

THERAPIST: Even when it would make sense necessarily to break it.

CLIENT: Right, yea.

THERAPIST: Does... are there any rules that people have for you that don't work?

CLIENT: I don't think so. But it is funny. I even noticed... because I've been thinking about this a lot. [00:16:02] And when I go to do my observations at the school, you have to sign in and sign out as you're leaving. And so it just like is a log of pages and pages of people signing in the time. And I noticed that I'm one of like... probably the only person that signs out. I can look through the pages. I looked the other day. And the only person who had signed out on like three pages in a row was me. (chuckling) And so I was laughing kind of thinking like I definitely am a rule follower. I think that is a good way...

THERAPIST: So when you noticed that, so then you said you were laughing.

CLIENT: Right.

THERAPIST: So what went along with that? What were you feeling as you were laughing as you noticed that? What were you thinking?

CLIENT: Well, part of me was kind of surprised that other people didn't do that. But then I know I just... I don't know if it made me think I thought too much about it but just kind of thinking that that was very symbolic of my personality. [00:17:01]

THERAPIST: Yea, your rule following. Yea, absolutely.

CLIENT: And there was one day where I didn't sign the book. And I was then... I left really late that day. I was the next person to sign in on the morning and I saw that I hadn't. So I filled in.

THERAPIST: Then you filled in.

CLIENT: Yea. (chuckling) And then I was like, oh, was that the time that I left? I wanted it to be accurate even. But yea, I don't know. I think it... I think that was very symbolic of...

THERAPIST: Yea, I think it's a really nice visual to have to remind of, OK, this might not be the degree to which everybody follows rules.

CLIENT: Right.

THERAPIST: And figuring out when is it really important and when is it not.

CLIENT: Yea.

THERAPIST: So I mean, I can almost imagine that if you had realized that you hadn't signed out, that that's something you would've worried a little bit about at night.

CLIENT: Yea.

THERAPIST: And probably been able to let go of.

CLIENT: Right.

THERAPIST: But you would have really noticed it.

CLIENT: Yea.

THERAPIST: Whereas clearly lots of other people are not signing out on a regular basis and don't even know or know but don't care.

CLIENT: Yea.

THERAPIST: And...

CLIENT: Yea, when I saw that I hadn't, I was surprised that I didn't think of that. [00:18:02] Like I feel like that would've been something too. That I would've wanted to just run back in and sign out.

THERAPIST: Yea.

CLIENT: But I think a little piece of it is with Trae (sp?), like if this... and I don't know why I think this. Because his daycare doesn't even know what school I'm at where I'm doing my research. But I think a little piece of it was if anyone needed to track down where I was, like I'm signing in, they know I'm in the building and I'm signing out, they know I've left.

THERAPIST: Right.

CLIENT: So I wonder if a little teeny piece of that was just like...

THERAPIST: Do you also sign him in and out of daycare.

CLIENT: No, we don't have to do that.

THERAPIST: OK.

CLIENT: Because it's a tiny little home daycare. So...

THERAPIST: All right.

CLIENT: Yea. I think that's actually...

THERAPIST: So you're really just in the habit of it perhaps or something like that.

CLIENT: I know, yea. But his daycare is very relaxed and they hardly have any rules. Do you know what I mean? I feel like that's been a really good thing for me that we're not getting the little slips of paper every day that are documenting everything with him. And at first that kind of bugged me. [00:19:02] I wanted to know more of what was going on. But in a way I think that that's been really helpful.

THERAPIST: You've gotten used to it.

CLIENT: ...that I don't know every little thing and I can just be sure that...

THERAPIST: That you can trust that he's...

CLIENT: ...they're doing fine and...

THERAPIST: ...that he's OK.

CLIENT: Yea.

THERAPIST: Because you pick him up every day and he's OK.

CLIENT: Yea. Because I could see my... like I definitely wanted that at the beginning but...

THERAPIST: Yea, so you saw that you can actually be more flexible and you can be more comfortable with not knowing not being in controlling and not knowing.

CLIENT: Yea.

THERAPIST: That's a good way to stretch yourself.

CLIENT: Right. And we joke because they primarily... they only speak French with Trae (sp?) during the day which we love. And I...

THERAPIST: Yea, he's really going to learn that.

CLIENT: Yea, like there are some of the older kids who both their parents don't know any French but they're running around... like when we pick him up speaking French.

THERAPIST: Sure, he'll pick it up. Absolutely.

CLIENT: So we've loved that. But it's funny because there is a little bit even of like a communication barrier. When we pick him up, like they are fine and he can communicate to us what he's done. [00:20:01] But we don't get those little details of exactly when he went down for a nap and when he woke up. She's like, "Oh, he slept about two hours." But I think all of that really did bug me at the beginning. I really was craving that detail. And now I am OK with it. So I think that that's all been like helpful to know... we joke that...

THERAPIST: Did you choose that going in? Did you know that it was going to be less structured and less...

CLIENT: No, no. I mean, we knew it wasn't going to have the protocols and things that a center would need to have which we liked. We liked just having like a little... that just felt like a little more personalized.

THERAPIST: Right.

CLIENT: Then we did visit just one center. So we kind of liked that aspect of it. That it was a little bit looser. But I think at the beginning if I knew... like I talked to one of my friends who sends their child there. And she said, "Oh, you do get the little slips of paper home." And that comforted me thinking, "Oh good, I'll know what he did all day." [00:21:03]

THERAPIST: And then it wasn't like that anymore.

CLIENT: Yea, at like the first little bit they did. But then it dropped off. But it... I think that has been good for me to just kind of like...

THERAPIST: Yea, it's been good to kind of push your boundaries and show... and have experience that it is... that it's been positive.

CLIENT: Right.

THERAPIST: Because it's pushing your boundaries and getting you used to being uncomfortable.

CLIENT: Right.

THERAPIST: But being a little bit uncomfortable and it's been a positive outcome.

CLIENT: Yea.

THERAPIST: And so you can kind of look back on that as you push yourself to try loosening some of your own rules.

CLIENT: Yea.

THERAPIST: And think that like, "OK, it was uncomfortable at first, but I actually enjoyed the outcome." And so kind of keeping that in the back of your mind as you do this.

CLIENT: Right, yea.

THERAPIST: Anything else we should be catching up on?

CLIENT: I think that was everything. That was... I have been thinking about it a lot. Just trying to be more aware of what the rules are that I have.

THERAPIST: Yea. So I encourage you to keep that up just kind of noticing when you feel like there is a rule that you're noticing. [00:22:00]

CLIENT: Yea.

THERAPIST: And only try to break one at a time.

CLIENT: Yea, that's a good idea.

THERAPIST: (chuckling) So that you don't feel like you're losing all your anchors.

CLIENT: Yea.

THERAPIST: I know we haven't done relaxation in a while. So I stop us and wondered if you wanted to do some today.

CLIENT: Yea, that would be good.

THERAPIST: So let's schedule because I don't know if we have anything on the books. And then give you some time to do some meditation. (pause) (inaudible at 00:22:26) for you. So am I correct? I didn't see you but then sometimes when I don't look on normal... on a day that maybe we had scheduled unusually? (pause)

CLIENT: Yea. I'm not sure that we had another time.

THERAPIST: Yea, we may actually not have. So when works... you have lots of flexibility now.

CLIENT: I know. (chuckling) Yea.

THERAPIST: So how... when do you want to come back? Two weeks again?

CLIENT: That... yea. That would be great.

THERAPIST: OK. So that would put us on Monday the 8th. [00:23:00]

CLIENT: Or actually that is the only week where I won't have a lot of flexibility because I'm helping with a conference that week.

THERAPIST: OK. So that week I have time just Monday and Tuesday. But I could also... we could push it off a week or we could meet on Friday. Oh no, we can't. That's Friday the 5th. So we... I have time Monday, Tuesday if anything works for you or we could move to maybe the 15th.

CLIENT: The 15th will probably be best because that's like it's an all-day institute. So it might be hard to...

THERAPIST: So I can do anytime between... I have a 10:30, an 11:30.

CLIENT: 10:30 would work.

THERAPIST: All right, let's do that. (pause) Can we make it 10:40?

CLIENT: Sure.

THERAPIST: And then we'll meet right up until 11:30. I just... the train schedule I might not be here right at 10:30. At the moment I don't have a 9:30. If I do, then it's no problem. [00:24:03]

CLIENT: Yea.

THERAPIST: Otherwise I'll try to stay home and get something done for an extra half hour. (pause) And then... so we would normal do two weeks but that actually that last week of July is my vacation.

CLIENT: Oh nice.

THERAPIST: So we could do either Monday the 5th or we can meet Friday the 26th if you want to keep it closer to two weeks.

CLIENT: I won't... so Fridays will be my day home with Trae (sp?).

THERAPIST: OK.

CLIENT: So I won't have anyone to watch him.

THERAPIST: OK.

CLIENT: And I know now I definitely can't bring him with me. (chuckling)

THERAPIST: No, he's too old for that. He will want the attention but... so I could do Tuesday the 23rd or we could do the 5th again, Monday the 5th. (pause) [00:24:59]

CLIENT: I know the 5th will work.

THERAPIST: OK. You want to do the 10:30 or 10:40 again?

CLIENT: So that... yea, 10:40 will be great on Monday the 5th.

THERAPIST: And that will also be the... so August starts your new insurance year.

CLIENT: Oh OK.

THERAPIST: And so I don't know where we are in session count. I haven't actually looked on that. But we know we're safe then.

CLIENT: Yea, that's good.

THERAPIST: And I will look at that today just in case you need to be aware of changes.

CLIENT: Great.

THERAPIST: I haven't actually looked at that. (pause) Let's give you a few minutes to do some deep breathing. (pause) And so let yourself get comfortable. You can close your eyes. Begin to take some deep breaths at your pace. (pause) Let yourself take full inhales and exhales. [00:26:01] (pause)

Beginning to relax your body. Letting yourself clear your mind. (pause) Taking a moment to notice anything that feels tight, tense or uncomfortable. Thinking about taking a deep breath into those spaces. And as you exhale let go of the tension. Letting your muscles relax. Thinking about letting the chair doing the work holding up the weight of your body. Let the floor hold the weight of your legs and feet. Noticing the thoughts that are stuck in your head. Acknowledging them and then letting them go for now and then float away knowing you can hold onto important things later. And now letting your mind be clear. Letting your body relax. [00:27:03] (pause)

Again, scanning your body and noticing any place that feels tight or uncomfortable. If there is a place that's hard, to let go of the tension. Think about tightening that space up even more on your next inhale and then relaxing fully as you exhale. Repeating that process as many times as you need to. Scanning your body and noticing a tight space. Tensing as you inhale, relaxing as you exhale. Letting yourself become more relaxed with each breath. [00:28:00] (pause)

Perhaps letting yourself drift away to place where you are fully relaxed. (pause) Imagining the details of that place and letting yourself get immersed in every tiny detail. Noticing what it feels like to be there. What it feels like in your body. What it feels like emotionally. (pause) Let yourself kind of soak up all the calm and peace that surrounds you there. (pause) [00:29:00]

Maybe attaching a word to this feeling or place that you have right now. Breathing in your word. Exhaling and getting even more relaxed and more calm and more comfortable. Knowing that any time you need to, any time you feel uncomfortable, you can think about breathing in this word and feeling the way that you do now. Exhaling, letting go of the tension. Inhaling peace, calm and relaxation. Then you can use that once you start anxious. When you start to feel worried, give yourself a little break and coming back to this place. Coming back to this peaceful word. [00:30:08]

And let yourself take a few more breaths to memorize this feeling and then when you're ready, holding onto the relaxation. Let yourself come back to the room and own (ph) peace. (pause) OK? Then I will see you in a few weeks.

CLIENT: Good. Thank you.

THERAPIST: You're very welcome. (pause) Take care of yourself.

CLIENT: You too, yea.

END TRANSCRIPT