So... I have my first appointment with a therapist (LCSW) on Monday afternoon. I'm nervous. The reason I'm going is because I think the reactions I have when things don't go the way I want them to are out of proportion with the issue at hand. As some of the ladies on here know too well, I've had problems with FI going out for happy hour after work. There have been times where he was clearly in the wrong (we had tentative plans and he broke them), but there have been more times when he made me fully aware of his plans, they were entirely reasonable, and I was still upset. Moreover, when I know he's going out after work - even if he's given me all the details - I'm still stressed and nervous and just primed to be angry or cry if he decides to stay out any later than planned. We've had good talk about it, and he knows what I need him to do to make me more comfortable, but I feel like even if he does EVERYTHING I ask, I still will be upset if he doesn't come right home after work. As a side-note, I have no reason whatsoever to mistrust him, and I hate feeling like a crazy, unreasonable, partner.
It's not just the happy hour issue that has caused these feelings. Early in the wedding planning, a venue I hoped we'd like turned out to be far below expectations, and I couldn't stop crying on the way home - I had decided that we could not afford a decent wedding and we would never find something we'd like within our budget. What sparked this was seeing on FB that a friend of a friend had just gotten engaged, and in my head, I was sure that THEY would have the perfect wedding, while we never would. I've been pretty happy at this job so far, but in my past two positions I've become so stressed that I couldn't stop crying on several different occasions. My dog killed a bird a couple of days ago and I was a MESS for several hours.
I've always said that I think pretty much ANYONE could probably benefit from therapy, but I've never actually been myself. I'm hoping it will help to talk out these feeling with an expert, and help me put things into perspective so that I can have more appropriate reactions when things don't go my way.
Anyways, for those of you who have been, what can I expect for my first session? For future sessions? Do you think I have reasonable expectations going in? Thinking about it now, I'm worried I'm going to burst into tears the second she asks me why I'm there...
CN: Going to first therapy appointment on Monday. Nervous. What can I expect?