u/Impossible_Bit_431

Edited to add WA state

My son has a medical condition that has had a huge impact on school attendance. He misses many days due to his illness, procedures, etc.

He will be in high school next year, and i have been hoping like crazy that he'd be well enough to return to a normal school day by then, but it is not looking good.

I have avoided home school for several reasons- I am not equipped to manage it properly due to my own level of overwhelm.

He needs social interaction.

His depression ramps and he doesn't leave the house without the structure of school.

The biggest, though, is that the only thing that brings him joy right now is being a part of Band at the public school.

I am considering a hybrid option where he goes to public school for 2-3 classes, and does the rest at home, but I can't overstate how much I need to avoid being the one to manage his schooling to the degree that Id need to for him to be successful. I have always been very involved in kid's education, but I'm trying to be aware of my own limits and I am really struggling with what is already on my plate.

Virtual public schools seem like a good option, but from what I see, he could not do that while still being enrolled at our local public school.

Other home school programs seem to lack the structure and support we'd need right now.

I am sure that there are others who have had to work through this. Is anyone willing to share programs that might fit the bill or what i should even be looking for?

I have seen a number of different therapists over the years, and while I have for sure benefited in many ways, it seems that after a few sessions, I fall into a rhythm of just catching up on my week like I'm talking to a friend.

I don't always need or want to dig into the messy stuff, and it's not unusual for me to arrive to my session in good spirits without a particular goal for the day, but eventually I end up dropping off their schedule, feeling like we're not really doing all that much, and months later remembering why it felt so necessary to go.

Answering the question "how was your week?" Can sometimes take up a ton of time, and i leave with maybe more clarity on a current situation, but not a lot closer to resolving underlying issues.

I feel like I've often heard this from friends in therapy as well, so I imagine it's fairly common, but it leaves me wondering, is it up to me to guide my sessions? Like I should I say " My week was a mixed bag. Thanks for asking. Today I'd love to work on my hypervigilance."?

I have done some EMDR, but mostly talk therapy. To be fair I spent several years in intensive therapy in my 20's processing significant trauma which was profoundly helpful, but I feel like I showed up to those sessions a total wreck, and that's just not me anymore. I want to make the most of the work I'm doing with my LMHC and save the chit chat for friends.

Thoughts on this appreciated!